Between the Stars
by Prongsy's Girl
Summary: Six years ago he left his love between the stars...When Sarah is wished away to the Goblin King, she finds herself in a world unlike anything she ever could of expected with a story and a life she never thought she'd have the chance to live. Jareth/Sarah
1. Part One, Chapter One

_Summary:_

_Six years ago he left his love between the stars...When Sarah is wished away to the Goblin King, she finds herself in a world unlike anything she ever could of expected with a story and a life she never thought she'd have the chance to live. Jareth/Sarah_

_***Authors Note* Hey everyone. Hope you enjoy my Labyrinth fic, it's been like... a year in the making, but I'll be posting a new chapter every week or so. (Reviews are well-loved) You'll notice that the story is organized into parts with 3 or 4 chapters in each part, the first part being "The Expense of Spirit". Enjoy, and I PROMISE that Jareth makes his appearance in Chapter two, so hold on! **_

_***Authors Note 2* There has been a minor edit to the content per the request of many readers/reviewers. In previous edit, Marcus was married, but many people had a problem with it, so I have just made him single. **_

_**BTW, i do not own Labyrinth or anything or anyone associated with it. I just really really like it. A lot**__**.**_

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**Part One; **

**The Expense of Spirit**

**Chapter 1**

A smile played on Sarah's lips as she sat doodling in her notebook. Sitting in the third row of her Literature 1050 class, she was only half listening as Dr. Reynolds lectured on the finer points of Hawthorne's writing – she knew he would fill her in later if she asked. Hawthorne was his favorite and Sarah knew he would relish at the chance to relive a portion of his lecture to her. Sarah had, herself, particularly enjoyed The Scarlet Letter, not that she would have admitted that to him. The only books Dr. Reynolds had seen in her possession were fantasy novels like Harry Potter and Labyrinth – not that he had any idea of the importance Labyrinth held for her. She winked when his gaze fell on her and he looked away quickly, a smile on his face as he read an excerpt from The Blithedale Romance.

"Ms. Williams, perhaps you'll enlighten us on some of the more unusual aspects of this story?" He said, smiling at her again.

"The narrator is a vastly unreliable character, shrouding all which takes place in doubt." She answered. She had not heard a word he had said, but knew, from his frequent talk of the book what he found to be the most unusual. He shook his head slightly but returned to the lecture, smiling up at her on occasion.

"Ms. Williams, please meet me in my office to discuss your paper, and the rest of you, enjoy your spring break and don't forget to have The Blithedale Romance read by the end of the break. Thank you!" The class hurried out at the sound of the hourly bells and Dr. Reynolds had only that small chance to announce the assignment as Sarah stood and made her way to the front of the classroom, smiling wickedly.

As she followed him to his office she played the part of the confused student well, it was something she had grown accustomed to. Inside, Dr. Reynolds turned around and locked the door behind her, backing her up against the desk.

"Now, Sarah. Throwing my own words back in my face is quite like you, isn't it?" The blonde man said as she leaned over her. Sarah sat back casually, not fleeing from his advance in the slightest. "I should refuse to fill you in on what you weren't listening to." He said, smiling a smile that Sarah found to be familiar to that of a man she had known long ago.

"But then I'd fail, and I wouldn't be in your class next year, now would I, Marcus?" She replied, laughing as Marcus Reynolds ran his hand up her exposed thigh.

"Sarah." He chastised. "Sometimes I think you try to distract me during my lectures. Look at this thing you call a skirt." He laughed then, pulling her to him at last and kissing her on the lips. Sarah wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him closer, burying her fingers in his hair, but Marcus pulled away.

"Sarah. You know we can't do this now." He said, but he was as flushed and breathless as she was.

"Why?" She said, disappointed at the sudden loss of contact with him.

"Dr. Kelsey's in his office next door, Sarah." She bit her lip. "God, Sarah. I want you, too, but I want to keep my job as well." Sarah turned away from him then, looking toward the computer instead.

"I guess I'll be going home then." She said, standing and adjusting her skirt.

"You are such a child, Sarah." Marcus said, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her so she was looking at him. She tried to jerk away, but he held her tighter. "A child who thinks she can play with the adults. I would have thought the time you've spent with me would have helped you to grow up a bit." Sarah stared up at him defiantly.

"Let me go, Marcus." She whispered, her voice as cold as death.

"Very well. Will I see you tonight, Sarah?" He asked, loosening his grip.

"Probably." She whispered. "I'll be leaving on Monday, so I'll come over this weekend if that's alright." Marcus nodded before his lips touched hers one last time in farewell.

"Goodbye, Sarah." He said, opening the door, "I'm glad we took the time to discuss that portion of your paper, I think I understand what you were getting at a little better now." He said, smiling. Sarah couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, Dr. Reynolds. It was good to get that cleared up."

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Back in her dorm room, Sarah rummaged through her bag, tossing papers unceremoniously onto the bed. She knew she had seen that little red book, but for the life of her she couldn't find it. With a sigh, she flopped back onto the bed. Labyrinth made a point of disappearing exactly when she needed it. The same could be said of the friends she had loved from that place.

Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus and the others had continued to come at her call for several years after her trip to the Underground, but it was not long after that that Sarah found herself sitting alone in front of her mirror calling their names into the empty air. By the time she was eighteen, Sarah had all but given up on her old friends, but the book that sat on her bedside table prevented her from forgetting that place all together.

"Damn it, Jareth! Give me back my book!" She called out, but no answer came – not even the passing of a white owl.

"Sarah? What's wrong?" Sarah looked up as her roommate, Keelie came into the room.

"I can't find my damn book again." Sarah said, looking through the papers on her bed once again, but it landed in her lap as Keelie threw it to her.

"Sorry, I should have told you I'd borrowed it." She said, looking abashed.

"No, it's alright. Sometimes I think that Goblins steal it or something, that's all." Keelie laughed and sat on her bed. "So," Sarah said looking at Keelie in her denim skirt and knee-high boots. "Date tonight?" Keelie smiled.

"Yeah. Terrance is taking me out again. You?"

"I'm spending the weekend with Marcus." Sarah responded, her smile widening, but Keelie pierced her with her sharp gaze.

"I don't like the relationship you two have." Keelie said, eyeing the photo of Marcus that Sarah kept on her desk, "he's using you, Sarah."

"No he isn't." Sarah said, her voice rising at her friend's accusations, but Keelie just shook her head. "I don't want to have this discussion, Keelie. Thank you for returning my book." Sarah responded, seizing the book and storming out of the room, so angry she was surprised she wasn't seeing red. She went the living room and snuggled up in her favorite chair. The room was mostly empty – many of the students had already left for their spring breaks.

**"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City -" **

Sarah's vision clouded over with tears as she remembered her and Jareth's last encounter in the Escher room. _Fear me, love me, do as I say and I – I shall be your slave. _Jareth's words haunted her memory. Often Sarah had dreamt of going back to the Underground, but when her friends had stopped answering her calls, she had forgotten the dream as well. Dreams, she realized, were things which were only to be coveted by children. She had ambitions, yes, but no longer did she dream of a prince – or king – coming to take her away from her dismal life. Now, she simply made the best of what was given her.

Realizing it was time to get ready, Sarah went back down the hall to her room. Keelie was still there, lounging on her bed and reading The Lord of Rings. She didn't look up as Sarah entered.

"Listen, Keelie, I – " Sarah began, but Keelie cut her off.

"Don't worry about it, Sarah. You're right, I should stay out of it." She smiled before she returned to her reading, and Sarah smiled back as she started collecting her clothes. She would be spending the weekend at Marcus's cabin in the northern part of the state and she knew that, even though it was only April, it would be unseasonably warm in Northern California. She threw some shorts and tank tops into the messenger bag with the little lingerie she owned, and filled the rest of the bag with her other necessities.

"I'll see you after the break, right?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, Girlie. I ain't going nowhere. Will I see you at all on Sunday?"

"Um... probably that night. I fly out early Monday, so maybe we'll just stay up Sunday?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sarah smiled and hugged her friend before she turned and galloped down the stairs to the ground level. Of course, Marcus could not pick her up at the dorms, as that drew too much attention, so Sarah ran to the bus stop and jumped onto the bus as it pulled up.

The bus dropped her off in downtown Sacramento, and Sarah hurried into the nearby Wal-Mart. The area where Marcus picked her up was one of the worst in town, but he insisted that this way, if he was seen, he could say he was just giving her a lift out of the 'bad part of town.'

Inside, she wandered to the clothing department. When they had first started these rendezvous' she had to meet him in specific places, but now he could usually guess where she'd be. Today, she wandered through the underwear section, pausing between two heavily laden racks to examine a matching set of lacy pink bra and thong underwear.

"I could buy that for you, you know." Marcus said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards smiled and pushed herself back further back into his arms.

"I'd like that." She whispered, pressing her lips to his.

"Very well, Sarah, I'll meet you back at my car?" She nodded, and moved away from him before taking off in a run toward the doors. She knew that if he was watching her now, he'd be laughing. As she neared Marcus' silver Buick, however, she was quickly reminded of why she did not generally wait for him at the car – especially at night.

The two men who stood in Sarah's path were easily six-foot-five and of a dark complexion that could have been from their ethnicity or too many hours in the sun – which she could not tell. They both smiled down at her, and she slowed her gait as she tried to go around them, but they moved to the side again to block her path.

"Where you going, Pretty Lady?" The man on the left asked, smiling at her wickedly.

"I'm just waiting for my husband." She responded confidently, hoping they had not noticed her shaking.

"Oh, where'd he go?" The left one asked, glancing around to emphasize his point.

"He just ran back into the store after something we forgot." Sarah said, willing her voice to sound confident and cool.

"Well, how 'bout we just wait with you until he gets here then?" The left man asked, grinning at her again. Sarah stood tall, ready to run –or fight them – or whatever it would take to escape them, but as soon as she thought it, the men froze where they stood. "Yeah." The man on the left said, his voice shaking.

"We'll just go, then." The right one answered, speaking to someone who Sarah could only guess was directly behind her. Sarah turned, expecting to see Marcus behind her, standing in some threatening posture, but when she looked behind her, she saw no one. By the time she looked back, the two looming men were gone, leaving the path to the Buick clear, so Sarah continued to the car with a shrug. Perhaps a police car had driven by and the two men had given up in the face of possible arrest. Either way, as she leaned up against the hood of the Buick, Sarah vowed to never wait for him at the car again.

***Authors Note* I hope you guys are enjoying it. There are about 6 billion hidden references in this story, so I will probably be holding little mini-competitions to see if people can guess the references. So, look for them!**


	2. Part One, Chapter Two

***Authors Note* Well, here we go again. This time we get to see Jareth and the Underground again! I would love some reviews on my work. ****BTW, I do not own Labyrinth and I make absolutely no money off it... the only characters I own are my own... **

The cabin was as warm and cozy as Sarah had remembered it from her last visit. True, Sarah had not been to the little beach house since winter vacation – Marcus could not get away very often. On weekends, she sometimes spent her nights at Marcus's house, and Sarah relished the little trips they would take to the cabin. It was a place where they truly did not have to hide or worry about the dean finding out about their taboo relationship.

No sooner had they pushed open the door to the cabin, in fact, when Marcus had pushed her back against the door and crushed his lips to hers.

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Despite the warmth of the spring evening, Marcus had lit a small fire in the grate and was lying beside Sarah on the rug before the fireplace. They had both been reading for a few minutes when Sarah saw Marcus glance up at her book.

"Again, Sarah?" Sarah pursed her lips and closed her book, not bothering to dog-ear her place. "How many times have you read that book?" He asked, smiling at her indignant expression.

"Enough. Now, Marcus, I don't make fun of your reading selections." She said, looking at the spine of his book to see the title. He was reading a classic, as usual, Great Expectations.

"Yes, because no one makes fun of my selections. Labyrinth is little more than a children's book, Sarah. You are a student of Literature; I would think you could do better." Sarah looked up at him, readying herself for another argument that would leave him laughing with mirth at her childishness.

"I can do better, but I choose not to. I love this book, Marcus. Is that such a bad thing?" Marcus smiled, obviously suppressing a laugh as he reached toward her.

"May I?" He asked, taking the book and flipping open to the place which was the most creased. "For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great." Sarah winced as he read those words aloud, but he didn't seem to notice, but instead skimmed through the book backwards, searching for other parts to amuse himself with. "Really, Sarah? What do you see in this tripe?" Sarah did not respond. "You know, there are times, you silly girl, that I wish the Goblins would come take you away… right now."

Sarah had but a moment to gasp as the lights in the cabin were suddenly extinguished. Marcus called out in the darkness and Sarah turned to see the fire was also out. She heard the book hit the floor as Marcus stood, but Sarah did not focus her thoughts on his presence. She was focused, instead, on the figure she knew stood beside the window looking in on the room.

Thunder cracked suddenly in the distance and Sarah heard Marcus gasp as he, too, saw the figure silhouetted in the darkness. The room was suddenly filled with light as a crystal floated into the air and centered itself, illuminating the room like a bare bulb. It was then that Sarah saw the man she had not seen in over six years, but had thought about every day since she was fifteen. The Goblin King stood before Sarah, looking down at her with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Well, Sarah, we meet again." He said, reaching out a gloved hand to help her to her feet.

"Hello Jareth." Sarah whispered, taking the hand and allowing him to lift her to her feet.

"It would seem I have been summoned. Surely, Sarah, you have not wished away another unfortunate child." The Goblin King looked around the room, seemingly only then noticing the man who stood trembling in the corner by the fireplace. "Ah, I see. " Jareth said, turning from Sarah to stalk over to Marcus. "So, you have been wished away to me by him." Jareth looked to be contemplating something, but turned back to her and summoned a crystal. "Take this, Sarah, it will send you to the castle while I talk to this gentleman here. I think you know how this works."

"No, Sarah!" Marcus shouted, speaking for the first time.

"This was your doing, Marcus. Now, the rules have to be followed." Sarah said, looking at him coldly. "But don't worry, I ran the Labyrinth when I was fifteen. I think you'll do just fine." With that, Sarah took the crystal Jareth offered.

The sensation was like nothing she had ever experienced. It was like being pulled into a giant vacuum and tunneled through the mazes of tubing, and she closed her eyes, fighting nausea. She was relieved when she opened her eyes and found herself standing in the middle of a large, rather beautifully decorated, bedchamber.

Although it was lovely, it did not look as though anyone lived in these chambers – they were probably guest chambers. Sarah did not know how many adults were wished away to the labyrinth, but she supposed that they were generally not treated quite the same as the children. The bed was laid in blue and silver bedding, looking every bit like the bed of princess, and there was also a wardrobe, bath which was inlaid in the stone floor – and a window, but little else in the room. Crossing to the window, Sarah looked out to the labyrinth. Looking out, Sarah realized that the room she was in allowed the guest to view all the avenues that would lead directly to the center of the maze. From her perch, she could even see as far as the hill where Jareth had shown her the clock and left her to solve the maze. She half expected to see him and Marcus standing there on the hill as he sent Marcus to run the labyrinth for her, but no one stood on the hill, and Sarah suspected that they were probably at a different entrance. Surely there were many entrances into the labyrinth.

Crossing to the oak door, Sarah reached out her hand to grasp the handle, but no sooner had she touched the knob when the door burst open and three goblins walked in, all adorned in matching grey and white outfits. A bat-eared male stood in the middle and bowed low while the two women on either side went immediately to work at the wardrobe and bath, preparing them for Sarah's use.

"Welcome, milady." The little male goblin began, "to the castle beyond the Goblin City. You sit now in the castle of King Jareth, Ruler of the Gobl –" the Goblin stopped speaking immediately upon looking up and seeing Sarah's face. She smiled down at him warmly.

"Why, you're Sarah!" The goblin gasped. Sarah just nodded and reached out her hand to shake that of the small gibbering goblin.

"I am Sarah. What is your name?" He seemed to get his wits as he reached out his hand and shook hers.

"I'm Gormack." He said, looking behind her as the goblin maids prepared the bath for her.

"Well, go on, Gormack." Sarah said, encouraging him to finish his speech.

"Well, you're in the Goblin Kingdom, but you knew that, huh?" Sarah nodded. "Um, adults who are wished away are usually given their own chambers until things are sorted out, and they are usually treated to dinner with the Goblin King. The handmaidens are preparing a bath for you now. They'll help you get ready. Will that be alright, Sarah?"

"Yes. Thank you, Gormack. You have been very helpful." With that, the little bat-eared goblin turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Sarah turned and looked at the two handmaidens who stood behind her. The one had already drawn a bath and the other had done something to the wardrobe so that it now stood open before her, filled with beautiful dresses and gowns which suited Sarah's taste quite well.

"What are your names?" Sarah asked, looking at the Goblin women in turn.

"Tleeka." Replied the goblin standing nearest the wardrobe. She was rather short with a pig-like nose that would help Sarah tell them apart.

"Well, Tleeka, thank you for the beautiful clothes. I have a feeling that you and that wardrobe knew just what I'd like." Sarah replied, smiling warmly at her. "And you?" She asked, smiling at the goblin who stood nearest the inlaid tub.

"Baria." She answered, turning her face to the ground. She was obviously younger, probably Tleeka's child or ward.

"Thank you very much for the bath, Baria. I think I'll get in now." Sarah said, turning away from the Goblin women who she assumed would be staying with her until she was ready for dinner. But no sooner had she unbuttoned the top button on her shorts when she heard the distinct sound of a man clearing his throat behind her.

Sarah quickly reclosed the button on her jeans and turned around sharply, finding herself face to face, not with a little goblin messenger, but with the Goblin King himself.

"What are you doing here, Jareth?" She asked, glancing at the obviously surprised handmaidens. Apparently, Jareth did not usually make an appearance at the bedchamber. "Shouldn't you be out making life more difficult for Marcus?" Jareth looked down at her, his chiseled features softer than she usually saw them. Obviously, Jareth was only 'The Goblin King' to those who had to run the labyrinth.

"Sarah."Jareth said, looking away from her for the first time, "Marcus chose not to run."

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**Well, there's chapter two for you. Wait until chapter three when we get to learn more about what happened after Sarah left the cabin. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned. **


	3. Part One, Chapter Three

***Authors Note* Special thanks to everyone who took the time to review and shop their support. As many of you may have noticed, I did make a change - Marcus is no longer a married man, so Sarah did not have an affair with a married man, just a professor at her university. I hope you all enjoy the story. This chapter you find out what happened after Sarah left and how and why Marcus chose not to run. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, neither do I make any money from this story. **

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**Chapter 3**

"What do you mean he didn't run?" Sarah asked, looking up at Jareth. "What do you mean?"

"I offered him his dreams, Sarah, and he chose to take them instead." Sarah looked away from him and buried her face in her hands.

"That's not possible, Jareth. I was his dreams. He told me as much!" Her knees buckled and Sarah found herself sitting on the floor at his feet as he knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. Perhaps you will still join me for dinner, however; I'm afraid we will have a great deal to discuss." Sarah looked up at him then, barely seeing his gentle expression through her tears. She stared at him suspiciously for a moment, but seeing no malice there, nodded her head once. "Very well. Baria and Tleeka will assist you in getting ready. I will see you soon." He smiled at her briefly as he helped her to her feet and handed her over to the goblin handmaidens.

The bath was warm, but it could not quell Sarah's pains as she painstakingly relived every moment she had ever shared with Marcus. He had treated her like a queen much of the time. He had given her whatever she desired – as long as he could afford it – and told her of his love countless times. A million times it seemed she had lain beside him as he whispered the words of Shakespeare's sonnets to her – repeating them to her like a vow that he would always be there. He knew many of them by heart and had taught her the one he said meant the most to him… to them.

"_Let me not to the marriage of true minds_

_Admit impediments. Love is not love_

_Which alters when it alteration finds,_

_Or bends with the remover to remove. _

_O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark_

_That looks on tempests and is never shaken;_

_It is the star to every wand'ring back, _

_Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. _

_Love is not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks_

_Within his bending sickle's compass come:_

_Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, _

_But bears it out even to the edge of doom._

_If this be error and upon me proved, _

_I never writ, not no man ever loved."_

The goblin handmaidens looked up at her as she finished reciting the poem. Sarah had always loved the way it rolled off her tongue – no matter how bitter the taste.

"That was beautiful, Sarah." She looked down at the small goblin woman beside her and nodded slightly.

"Did you write it?"

"No," Sarah said, smiling a little at the handmaidens' inquisitiveness. "That author is famous where I come from."

"What does it mean?"

"That love that is true never falters… I guess. True love knows not age or hate or betrayal. It simply is." Tears welled up in Sarah's eyes and she looked back down at the water. It looked dark against the stone that lined the bottom.

"Are you ready to get out?" Tleeka asked, and Sarah nodded. Without looking up, she rose from the tub and took the towel that was offered to her.

…

Jareth looked away and let the crystal dissipate when he saw Sarah prepare to rise from the bath. He would not take advantage of her that way – she had already been taken advantage of enough lately. He ran his hand through his tousled blonde hair and sighed. Unlike his goblin subjects, Jareth recognized the poem that Sarah had recited – and knew who had made those promises to her. He wished he could have been the one to make her those beautiful promises, but she would not hear them from him now.

The scene at the beach house after Sarah left reeled in his mind and he shuddered again at the man's demeanor. He seldom met wishers like Marcus Reynolds – for that he was grateful.

_"What have you done with her?"The man said, hardly able to move as he stared up at the Goblin King. _

_"I have done nothing but what you have asked." Jareth replied looking down at him. The man who stood before him was cringing in the shadow of the chimney as though he could hide from Jareth's cold gaze. He turned away from the cowering man as he twirled a crystal in his hands and gazed into it, seeing the man's dreams and expectations. "Do you know who I am, Marcus?"_

_"No."_

_"So, you do not share in your lover's passion for fantasy and dreaming?" Jareth smiled as Marcus grimaced at his demeaning tone._

_"No."_

_"Well, Marcus, I am the Goblin King, and I have taken Sarah because you asked me to. Do you want her back?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You will have to run my Labyrinth to get her back, Marcus. Do you still want her back?" Marcus hesitated this time, but looked up at Jareth and nodded once._

_"What about this, Marcus? Can I offer you a gift in exchange for the woman you love?"_

_"What?"_

_"A gift, Dr. Reynolds. Tell me, do you want her more than that job at Oxford? How about that mansion on the hill that you drive by everyday? Or, of course, that beautiful redhead in your Lit. 1000 class. Tell me, Dr. Reynolds, do you still wish to journey for Sarah?" The man looked up at Jareth this time, staring at him for a few moments. "There is doubt in your eyes, Marcus. How much easier would it be to just take the crystal and leave… you will be no worse for Sarah's intrusion into your life – you won't even remember her."_

_"What will happen to her?" _

_"Do you even care?" Jareth asked, allowing to venom to leak out into his voice. The man seemed unphased as he looked back at Jareth in defiance. _

_"No. Not really." The man smiled then as he took a step forward. Jareth held out the hand holding the crystal. _

_"All you have to do is take the crystal, Marcus, and you can have whatever you want." Jareth said, but it did not appear that Marcus needed anymore encouragement. His hand closed around the crystal and in a flash of blinding light, everything that had ever been Sarah was gone and Jareth was standing, once again, in the stone recesses of his throne room. _

There was no denying that what Marcus had done had hurt Sarah – broken her – but Jareth was sure that the truth of Marcus's words and actions would hurt her more. There was no way around it, however. Sarah would ask about the encounter and Jareth would tell her everything – he could not lie to her.

…

Sarah stood in front of the wardrobe mirror and admired her reflection. The little goblin handmaidens had spent the last hour helping her dress and doing her hair and makeup. It had cheered Sarah a bit – getting dressed up like that. She hadn't had a reason to get dressed up when she was with Marcus – he never took her anywhere.

She shook away her dark thoughts and looked back into the mirror. The dress she wore was vastly different than the one she had worn on her last trip to the Underground. In place of the poufy, drop-waist gown she had worn in the crystal dream, she now wore a wine-colored front-tie gown. It was not poufy in the least, but stream-lined and whimsical. The bodice tied from the top to just over her breasts and the gown was open at the waist and her white chemise could be seen beneath the gown. Somehow, Baria and Tleeka had managed to curl Sarah's stick-straight hair and it was piled elegantly on top of her head. Small jewels and silver leaves had been weaved through her curls – much like the ones she remembered in her hair in the dream, and her eyes were adorned in silver and grey, leaving her with a smoky, whimsical look.

"What do you think?" Sarah asked, looking back and forth at the goblins on either side of her. They both nodded, turning as the little male goblin from before reentered the room. Sarah turned as he entered and stepped into her wine-colored slippers.

"Dinner is ready, Lady Sarah." He said, tipping his hat to her.

"Thank you, Gormack." Sarah replied, following him out the door and into the cavernous hallway outside her room.

"King Jareth has asked that I give you a small tour of the castle on the way to the Great Hall. I hope that will be alright." Sarah nodded.

"I take it I can expect an extended stay here, then?" Sarah asked, looking away from a beautiful tapestry of the labyrinth.

"That, I do not know, Lady Sarah." Gormack replied. They walked about the castle in companionable silence for a time, Gormack pointing out important locations as they passed them. Soon, however, Gormack stopped and looked around a bit nervously.

"Are we at the Great Hall already?" Sarah asked, glancing down the hall at the nearest doors. They certainly didn't look spectacular enough to be the Great Hall.

"No, milady. I'm just not sure I was supposed to take you through this part of the castle, that's all."

"Why?"

"Well, Lady Sarah, up ahead there is King Jareth's chambers."

"Oh. Well, I'll tell Jareth that I wandered off if he asked and found it myself. How about that? Now, can we continue on, Gormack?" Sarah winked at the goblin and gestured that they could continue on. As they passed his chambers, Sarah caught herself looking at his door and wishing she could kneel before the keyhole and get a glimpse of the inside. Fighting the urge, Sarah continued on behind the little goblin as he pointed out the library and Jareth's private study.

The castle was enormous, and Sarah was sure that despite their detour on the way to dinner she had hardly seen a portion of it. Gormack was more than generous – pointing out interesting things about the castle and answering her inane questions about the Goblin City and the Labyrinth. By the time they reached the Great Hall, Sarah's mood had improved significantly and when she saw the two goblins holding the doors to the Great Hall open for her, she found herself finally ready to face Jareth and the fate that was before her.

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**Thanks for taking the time to read. Drop me a line if you have any constructive criticisms!**


	4. Part One, Chapter Four

***Author's Note* Sorry about the delayed update. It's basically been the craziest week of my life! I hope you all enjoy finding out what happens to Sarah now!**

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**Chapter 4**

Jareth watched, mesmerized as Sarah walked into the Great Hall. Her burgundy gown flowed around her as though fanned by a relentless breeze, and her fair skin glowed in the firelight. He couldn't look away and watched, unabashedly, as she crossed the hall and took the seat that the goblin servant held out for her across from him.

"Jareth." She said, tilting her head slightly to acknowledge his presence. Her words finally stirred him from his stupor and he nodded back and turned toward the servant and waived his hand. The goblin hurried away quickly and he looked back at Sarah. She seemed happier than before – apparently her little tour of the castle had lifted her spirits.

"Sarah. What do you think of my castle?" he asked, waiving his hand to emphasize his point.

"It's lovely, Jareth." She looked down then and bit her lip. "It is alright if I call you Jareth, isn't it? I noticed no one else does." He smiled at her coyness.

"It is something I usually discourage my subjects from doing," he began, watching as she started to turn a lovely shade of red. "I think we can make an exception in your case, however." She was quiet then, and Jareth searched for something to break the silence.

"You know, Sarah, I think I miss your doggedness." Jareth said, summoning a crystal and rolling it in his hands. Sarah looked up and smiled at him now, a familiar spark playing in her eyes.

"My goodness, Jareth, what are you, a masochist?" She asked, laughing.

"Perhaps. Now, how are your chambers? Are they to your liking?"

"Yes. They have a great view… and I think I love my new wardrobe." Jareth watched as she fluffed the sleeves of her dress to emphasize her point.

"Yes, I do think that gown looks a bit more tasteful than the one you wore on your last journey here." The servants entered then, pouring wine in his and Sarah's glasses before bringing out the first course. The two ate in silence for a time until the soup was gone, and he saw Sarah look up again.

"What happens to me now, Jareth?" Jareth sighed. He had hoped that the subject would wait, if only so that he could enjoy her company for a time longer without the pain of the impending conversation looming over them.

"Well, Sarah. That is what we must discuss this evening." Sarah did not flinch or look away from him, and he hoped that meant that she was ready to discuss her future in the Underground. Many of the wished-away adults did not take the conversation so well. "As you know, I am bound by the rules of the Labyrinth. While there are choices before you, there are not many."

"I can't go back, can I?" Jareth sighed again, running his hand through his platinum blonde hair.

"No, you cannot. You are no longer even a memory in that world."

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"How does that work anyway?" Sarah asked, surprised at her own inquisitiveness in spite of the current situation. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her, obviously shocked as well. "I mean, what about all the things that came to pass because of me? How are those reconciled?"

"Well, most of them are explained away fairly easily. Some are more difficult, of course."

"Like Toby's memories of the castle." Sarah said softly.

"Yes. I cannot erase his memories of this place anymore than I could erase yours after you beat the Labyrinth. Like many other things in the Underground, that is against the rules."

"You're not allowed to erase the memories of those who defeat the Labyrinth?"

"No, Sarah. When you spoke those words, you earned your freedom from my magic. I could not alter you in the slightest."

"Well, then how did Toby gain his memories of this place?"

"Fortunately, Toby was very young when he came here. He did not truly know how the events came to pass when you were in his life, and he does not now. However, I believe he will someday assume it was from a book he heard when he was young." Sarah watched as Jareth straightened his napkin as he spoke. He was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation at hand.

"So, your magic doesn't work on me anymore?" She asked, unable to let the subject go.

"In a sense, Sarah. Some portions of my magic still work. My crystals still work in surveillance and I can use any of my powers on you with your permission. My illusions, however, will no longer affect you."

"So, no more crystal dreams?" Sarah asked, smiling.

"No, I think not… unless you'd like some more?" He offered, his smile showing his slightly pointed teeth. Sarah laughed, but shook her head in response. She watched as the second course was brought in then, a beautiful spread, and the two ate in silence again until Sarah looked up at Jareth.

"So, what are my options, Jareth?" He looked up again, and Sarah gathered her courage for the answer that would come.

"Well, Sarah," he said, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully, "The wished-away are always given homes here in the Underground – even the children –"

"Wait, you don't turn the children into Goblins?" Sarah interjected, nearly choking on her food.

"No. That is just a rumor to limit the amount of children wished away to me. They are usually adopted out the families here in the Underground – usually families outside my kingdom. The adults however, are given the option of joining any of the Underground kingdoms. It is a negotiation I have with the other rulers."

"There are other kingdoms?"

"Of course; there are six distinct kingdoms in the Underground and we each have our own dealings with the Aboveground. Mine, of course, is the Goblin Kingdom and my duty pertains to the realm of wishes. There are also the Loukai, whose domain is dreams. The kingdoms of King Morpheus and I are surprisingly similar. The Siren kingdom, ruled by Queen Ondine, controls the realm of desire. Knowledge is ruled by King Coeus, ruler of the Centaur Kingdom. Memory is the domain of the Fae, ruled by King Geoffry, and, of course, the final kingdom is the Wraith Kingdom, ruled by Queen Nemesis, whose domain is Fear. It is the duty of all these kingdoms to respond to, mediate, and challenge the domains they control." Sarah stared at Jareth as he finished explaining the different kingdoms of the Underground. She had had no idea of what the people in the Underground did. The surprise must have shown on Sarah's face, because Jareth stopped twirling his crystal and looked at her meaningfully.

"Perhaps now you better understand how the rules and expectations of the Underground work, Sarah. When you entered my kingdom to save your brother, all the kingdoms were at work to negotiate your journey. The Wraiths lent me their wrath and cruelty; the Loukai showed me your dreams, and the Sirens fueled your desire as that was one of your dreams; the Fae offered to remove your memories if you chose your dreams, and, if you chose to accept it, the Centaurs gave you the knowledge that you could defeat me. Truly, it's an intricate and beautiful dance of emotions and wants and expectations, but even as we assist one another, we are bound by our peers to the rules of their kingdoms." Sarah stared, awestruck, as Jareth completed his description of her journey through the Labyrinth.

"So, I have to choose which kingdom to join?"

"That is certainly one of the options."

"There are more?"

"I would offer you a place at my castle, Sarah." Sarah dropped her fork. "I do not pretend to know your dreams now, as the Loukai do not show them to me, but it was once your dream to reside in this castle, and I will offer you that choice now, if it is still your wish."

"Tell me about the kingdoms, Jareth." Sarah asked, her dinner all but forgotten as the goblin servants cleared the main course from the table.

"I can show you, if you'd like." He said, offering her the crystal he'd been juggling. Sarah took the crystal, expecting the familiar vacuum sensation, but nothing happened. "What I offer you now is an illusion, Sarah, you must accept it to see it."

"Yes, I choose to accept your illusion, Jareth." No sooner had she finished the words when the Great Hall dissolved and Sarah found herself looking out on a crystal palace surrounded by a massive forest of every Aboveground tree she could name – and several she could not.

"This is the realm of Morpheus, the king of dreams. Around the castle, you see the Forest of Spirits where dreamers are tested." Sarah saw that Jareth, too, held a crystal in his hand which he turned once causing the scene to melt and be replaced with beautiful transparent sea. At the bottom of the sea, nestled in the sand Sarah could see a magnificent, glittering castle.

"The kingdom of Ondine, and her castle beneath the Sea of Voracity. From that sea come the emotions that many humans experience – perhaps you are familiar with the sensation of 'drowning in your desires'?" The landscape melted once again and Sarah found herself looking out at a vast, flat plain. In the far distance, Sarah could see a simple tan and black castle with towering turrets and walls.

"The castle of King Coeus. The Fields of Wisdom surround his ominous castle, and represent the simple beauty of knowledge. All original thought and epiphany springs from the flowers growing in that field." The fields dissolved from Sarah's vision, leaving her looking down upon a city so complex that it looked more like a labyrinth of shimmering green and tan houses and buildings. In the center was a beautiful castle that seemed to be made entirely of gold.

"The realm of the Fae. The castle is the home of King Geoffry, and is not made of gold. The mineral is called Fool's Gold in the Aboveground, but it is a great symbol of memory and prosperity here in the Underground. The City of Anamnesis surrounds it and is the holding place of the memories of all the humans in the Aboveground." The city dissolved before her and Sarah found herself looking into the dark oblivion of the last realm of the Underground. Before her lay a dark landscape dominated by a massive cliff-lined valley. At the base of the valley was a jagged, staggeringly foreboding castle made entirely of onyx. Sarah shuddered as the darkness engulfed her.

"Ah, the fear reaches you even through the illusion. Before you is the castle of Queen Nemesis, ruler of Fear. The castle is nestled deep in the Valley of Despair. This land is what causes fear, both rational and irrational, and, as abhorrent as it seems, it has probably saved your life more than once." Finally, Jareth spun the crystal one last time, and Sarah found herself standing on the hill where she had begun her journey through the Labyrinth. Before her stretched the vast labyrinth with the castle standing in the center, just beyond the Goblin City.

"As you know, Sarah, what you see now is the Goblin Kingdom – my kingdom. I am the ruler of wishes, and my Labyrinth is a testing ground for those who make those wishes. I am also responsible for granting and denying simpler wishes – like a child's wish for the rain to stop so he can play." After one last twist of the crystal, Sarah found herself sitting again in her chair in the Great Hall. "What would you choose, Sarah?" She looked at Jareth as he spoke, seeing the desperateness behind his question. The goblin servants brought in the dessert then, and Sarah was given a moment of thought to contemplate her answer.

The solution stared at her, glaringly obvious, but Sarah knew that she was not a child anymore and she would certainly have to see all sides of the current situation. She knew she would not enjoy being a part of the Wraith or Siren kingdoms. The Loukai kingdom was beautiful, but she was not entirely sure what they were or how she'd fit in. She had never considered herself a woman of great insight or wisdom, so she did not feel attracted to the Centaurs or the Fae. She knew that the only answer was the one before her – the Goblin Kingdom. She knew the king and the goblins she knew were, although childlike and a little rambunctious, entirely endearing. Besides, as Jareth had pointed out, she had dreamt of living in his castle – and still did. The goblin servants finished dishing out the dessert and Jareth turned to her again, silently pleading for her answer.

"If I choose to remain here in the Goblin Kingdom, what will become of me, Jareth?"

"If you choose to remain here in the castle with me, you will become a courtier. I admit that I rather enjoy the idea of my kingdom being the home of a noble who is not a goblin, as the other kingdoms do not find them as endearing as I do."

"I can't imagine anyone disliking the goblins' childlike innocence." Sarah said, noting, for the second time that evening, the surprise on the Goblin King's face.

"Others have called it unruly ignorance. My people are not well-respected in the other kingdoms." Jareth looked troubled, and Sarah knew that he felt the same way she did – he loved his subjects despite what the other rulers thought of them. Jareth, Sarah decided, was also a bit unruly and obstinate.

"Very well, I think I shall remain here in the castle and become a Goblin noble. Would that please you, Jareth?" Jareth smiled.

"Very much, Sarah. I have missed you these six years." Sarah smiled at him, their eyes locking for a moment before they returned to their dessert and finished their meals in silence. The memories of what Marcus had done to Sarah lingered in the back of her consciousness, but at that moment, she felt as though the Underground was offering her a chance at true happiness. She thought that perhaps it was some magic of the Labyrinth that gave her the peace and comfort she was experiencing now, but although it may have been some magic, she did not resent it in the slightest. The dessert was gone long before Sarah was ready to return to her chambers, but as the goblins took away the dishes, Jareth turned to her once again.

"I will walk you back to your chambers." He said, rising and walking around to offer her his gloved hand for the third time that day. Sarah took it as he helped her to her feet and rested her hand on his arm as they walked through the stone passageways. They passed again by the library and study, but skirted the corridor where Jareth's chambers were located. It was only about ten minutes before they arrived at the doors to Sarah's chambers.

"Thank you." Sarah said, reaching for the handle, but Jareth extended a hand, obstructing her motion.

"Take this, Sarah. It's a crystal. I invite you to explore the castle tomorrow if you like, but if you should get lost, just throw this crystal into the air and I will come and lead you back to a familiar location." He took the hand that had been reaching for the door and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "Goodnight, Lady Sarah." He said, turning on his heel and walking away – leaving behind the musky scent of magic that Sarah remembered from her last trip to the Labyrinth.

Sarah had only been close enough to Jareth once before to notice the scent of magic that cloaked him, and that had been in the crystal dream when she had danced with him. The memory was one of the most vivid she had from the journey six years previously. She remembered what it had felt like to be held in Jareth's arms as he spun her in the crowd of masked dancers. Even then, at the age of fifteen, she had not wanted to leave his arms. She never would have guessed then, that she'd end up here – a guest in the castle of the man who had been her archenemy.

Now that she was alone, the memories of Marcus returned full-scale as Sarah lay on her bed. She knew it was her proximity to the man whom Marcus had looked remarkable like that had caused the memories of him to return to her. The thought was finally settling on her that Keelie had been right – Marcus had used her. He had pretended to love her to use her body. The worst part was that Sarah had truly loved Marcus – despite his constant mocking and sarcasm. Sarah curled up in a ball on her side as the tears started to flow. The pillow was damp with tears by the time she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overtake her.

_**Sonnet 129**_

_**Th' expense of spirit** in a waste of shame_

_Is lust in action, and till action lust_

_Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,_

_Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,_

_Enjoyed no sooner by despisèd straight,_

_Past reason hunted, and no sooner had, _

_Past reason hated as a swallowed bait_

_On purpose laid to make the taker mad;_

_Mad in pursuit, and in possession so,_

_Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;_

_A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;_

_Before, a joy proposed; behind a dream._

_All this the world well knows, yet none knows well_

_To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell._

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**Anywho, There is a challenge for this chapter. During Jareth's explanation of the other kingdoms there were a lot of references to mythology, dreamology, and minerology (not that I'm a big believer in dreamology or minerology) - but, the person who can correctly identify the most references in this chapter by Sunday at 11:59 PM will get a preview of chapter 5. PM me with your guesses, but make sure I can respond or else you won't get your prize (make sure you have private messaging enabled). If you don't win, then don't worry - there will be more of these little challenges. Thanks for reading - and, you know, you should still review if you like what you read.**


	5. Part Two, Chapter Five

***Authors Notes* Thanks for all the positive reviews! I am really appreciating them. But, without further ado, I present chapter 5... finally a little J/S romance!**

**BTW: I do not own Labyrinth nor do I make any money from it... not that it made much in the box office... but I still love it... **

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**Part Two; **

**Soul's Imaginary Sight**

**Chapter 5**

_**Sarah looked up at Hoggle where he sat on the Labyrinth wall. Just near the gate, he sat, his legs dangling from the edge as he bit into a peach which he held in his hand. Just then, he reached out and tossed another one to Sarah. She caught it, but did not immediately bite into it. Instead, she looked at it with mild curiosity. The last piece of fruit she had accepted from Hoggle had been tainted, but she knew that that was no trick of Hoggle's, and so she sunk her teeth into the tender flesh of the peach. The flavor of the fruit erupted in Sarah's mouth, but it did not taste like a peach – it tasted like a pear. **_

"_**You know what your problem is? You take too much for granted." Hoggle said, standing to walk along the wide wall. When she looked back down, the peach had become a pear. She stared at it for a moment, sure that she had taken a bite of peach only moments before. When she looked up, however, Hoggle was gone. **_

"_**Hoggle?" She called. She moved to step forward, but at that moment realized that she, too, was suddenly standing on the wall. Before she could regain her balance she found herself falling from the wall and plummeting the 20 feet down toward the Labyrinth floor –**_

Sarah woke with a start, choking on a scream that threatened to escape her lips. She had never had a dream that vivid in all her Aboveground life – she could still smell the Labyrinth dust around her. She lay back down on top of her blue and silver blankets and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Dawn was beginning to appear on the horizon, and Sarah rose and crossed to the window to look out at the Labyrinth. The Goblin City was now her home, but she could not regret the decision she had made to remain in the Goblin Kingdom. Just then a small knock reverberated through the room and Sarah turned toward the door. The little goblin Baria entered and curtsied.

"Good Morning, Lady Sarah."

"Well, Good Morning, Baria." She responded and the little goblin began moving about and preparing things for Sarah's day. "Are you to be my handmaiden, Baria?"

"Yes, Lady Sarah." Sarah smiled down at the timid little goblin child.

"Well then, I feel no need for the formalitie. You may call me Sarah." Baria smiled then, turning from her work preparing the bath to look at Sarah.

"Really?" She said, her voice trembling, "I mean, thank you, Sarah." Sarah sat on the edge of her bed, clinging to the fading dream as Baria finished preparing the bath. She knew that if she focused on the details enough the dream would remain with her. She supposed that her vicinity to the Kingdom of Dreams had made the dream more vivid and lifelike – if she had not woken so suddenly she would have sworn the entire incident had actually taken place.

As Sarah stepped into the bath, it occurred to her that she had not seen, spoken to, or even heard mentioned her friends from the Underground. Perhaps that dream had been her self-conscious's way of reminding her to look for her friends. Of course, she mused, that was it. She would simply have to ask Jareth about it once she was dressed.

An hour later, Sarah emerged from her chambers, dressed in a black skirt and emerald waist cincher with the simple, white chemise sitting off her shoulders. Her hair was still curled from the night before, but was now loose and piling on her shoulders. She looked back and forth, trying to remember her way from the previous evening, but was dismayed to find that all the corridors looked quite similar. She opened the small cloth bag that she carried and peered into it, checking for the crystal Jareth had given her before leaving the familiar corridor and wandering through the castle.

Despite its austerity, the castle was surprisingly beautiful. Around every corner Sarah encountered magnificent tapestries and elegantly-carved statues, and though she quickly became lost in the labyrinthine passages, she found that she didn't mind it so much. It was as she was turning around one such corner that Sarah ran into a small, pointy-eared goblin, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, kneeling to help the poor goblin to his feet. "Are you alright?" The goblin stared at her as though she were a ghost.

"You – I'm sorry, Lady Sarah! I should have been more careful." Sarah pulled the little goblin to his feet.

"What do you mean? I ran into you. I'm sorry; I should have been looking where I was going." She smiled graciously down at him, and saw his ears turn red. "What is your name?" He continued to stare at her with a dumb-struck expression on his face.

"My name, milady?" She nodded. "My name is Cariller"

"Well, very nice to meet you, Cariller. Now, tell me, what do you do here at the castle?" Cariller looked down at his hands.

"I work as one of the kitchen servants, milady."

"Well, I don't suppose you could tell me where I am, could you?" Sarah asked, looking up and down the hallway.

"Yes, milady. You are quite near the kitchens right now. To the left are the doors to the Great Hall and to the right are the doors to the kitchen gardens. The kitchens are down that hall just ahead."

"Thank you, Cariller! That was extremely helpful!" Sarah said, nodding to the goblin servant once before turning and walking to her left and walking toward the Great Hall. Outside the doors she found herself standing in a massive, intricately-decorated entry hall. There were four corridors leading away from the entry hall, and, along with the massive oak doors, they were arranged like spokes on a wheel. Between each of the two corridors was an archway or door, making four in total, including the main door, around the room.

Sarah stood in the center of the entry hall and looked up at the ceiling. Where all the rest of the castle's ceilings were simply stone arches, this room was decorated with a stained-glass skylight. The glass was expertly decorated with the image of the Labyrinth as it was enclosed within one of Jareth's crystals. She stared at the glasswork for several moments before finally tearing her gaze away to look at the doorways that lead from the room. The double doors nearest her obviously lead to the Great Hall, but Gormack had not pointed out the other doors on her trip the night before.

Sarah crossed the entryway, her boots clicking on the stone floor as she walked toward the double doors to her right. They were larger than the doors to the Great Hall, and she struggled to pull them open enough to peer inside.

Beyond the doors was the most beautiful ballroom Sarah had ever seen. The room was paneled in foggy mirrors which bounced the light from another skylight throughout the room, and the floor seemed to be divided into many different layers of stages and platforms upon which people could dance or sit. Had her arms not gotten tired from holding the doors for so long, Sarah was sure she could have stared at that room for an eternity, but soon she had to let the door drop as she turned toward the archway directly across from the massive oak entry doors.

Had she been paying more attention, she would have surely been quieter as she approached that doorway, but her boots clicked across the stone as she approached and peered into the room. Suddenly, Sarah found herself looking into the eyes of the Goblin King across a dark, somber room.

"Sarah. I see you found my throne room." He said and rose from his throne and walked toward her. He extended his hand and took hers, kissing the back of her hand.

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, feeling her face turn red, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt." She turned on her heel to go, but Jareth held her hand firmly.

"Not at all, Sarah. I was just preparing for lunch. Perhaps you'll join me?" Sarah nodded, looking up into his eyes and noticing their color for the first time. His left eye was a brilliant shade of blue, but his right, she realized, was rich brown. "Excellent. I generally take my midday meal in my study. Will that be alright?" He asked, stirring her from her stupor.

"Yes. That'll be fine. Thank you, Jareth." She followed Jareth down the nearest corridor past rooms she did not recognize in the slightest from her previous tour of the castle. "The castle is enormous. I don't know how I'll ever learn my way around." She said as they turned another corner into another utterly unfamiliar corridor.

"You solved the Labyrinth, Sarah. I think you'll do just fine." Jareth replied, chuckling. She looked up and noticed his mismatched eyes again as he looked down at her.

"I've just noticed your eyes, Jareth. Have they always been like that?"

"You mean, the color disagreement?" Jareth asked, his smile returning as they turned and entered the study. A large mahogany desk stood in the middle of the room, directly in front of a massive window that overlooked the Labyrinth. Bookshelves lined the walls, most of them filled with unmarked volumes and scrolls. "Ah, I see you like my study." Sarah nodded and took the seat he held out for her at the desk. "That's good. I was going to make you your own, but if you enjoy mine, then perhaps you'll share it with me?"

"Really?"

"If you'd like. As much as I enjoy my solitude it would be nice to have some company on occasion. I do not expect you'll have a great deal to do for the kingdom, but I think we will meet in here from time to time."

"Well, I would love that. Thank you." Sarah looked up and found him looking intently at her, a satisfied smiled on his face. Two goblins entered just then, each carrying a tray of food.

"I have a gift for you." Jareth said suddenly as they finished their meal. Sarah watched as he reached beneath his desk and removed a tattered red book and placed it on the table between them. "I found this among the possessions that were brought from the Aboveground." She turned the book over and stared at the title on the front cover. She flipped through the ancient copy of Labyrinth, running her hands over the pages as though looking at the photo of an old friend.

"How did this book come to be?" She asked, looking up at him at last.

"A lure – a simple reminder to children and adults to remember that the Underground exists. If the memory of Goblins passes from memory, then so does the idea of wishing away children to the Goblin King."

"I never thought of it that way." Sarah said as her eyes fell on the passage at the end. The smile faded from her face, and though she tried to hide it, Jareth seemed to have noticed.

"What's the matter, Sarah?" He asked, walking around the desk to look at the passage she was reading.

"Nothing." Sarah said. She tried to snap the book closed, but Jareth was faster – he snatched the open book from her hands. Sarah looked away and turned toward one of the bookshelves – she could not bear to see the look on his face as he relived the moment she had rejected him.

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"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City." Jareth read, watching Sarah as she feigned interest in the civil books on the shelf. He placed the book on the table and crossed the room to stand behind her. She was a vision of beauty – her dark hair was curled and tumbling over her exposed shoulders. He would have given anything to turn her and kiss her, but instead he placed a gentle hand on her arm.

"Sarah." He said, watching as she turned to look into his eyes. "It has been six years since you spoke those words to me. You were only a child." She looked down again, but Jareth saw the tears glistening in her eyes.

"I – I'm sorry, Jareth." She whispered without raising her face to look at him. Jareth placed two fingers under her chin and raised her face to look at him.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Sarah. If you had not fought so hard to keep your little brother, I would not have loved you." He stared down at her, entranced by her green eyes before leaning down placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Jareth." She said, her voice little more than a whisper, but Jareth turned from her and walked back to the desk. He knew that she was still fragile from her time with Marcus and he would certainly not take advantage of that.

"Let me show you back to your chambers, Sarah."

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**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. If you did, drop me a line to let me know!~Prongsy's Girl**


	6. Part Two, Chapter Six

***A/N* Well, Here I have chapter 6 for you. Hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Labyrinth? No. Do I make money from it? No. Is it still my favorite movie? Hell, Yes!**

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Chapter 6

_**Sarah looked down at where Ludo sat cross-legged on a large stone in the midst of the Forest of the Fireys. Though the forest had hardly changed since Sarah's trip there, she could see no streaks of flaming fur through the dark forest – there was only Ludo sitting still and humming quietly. **_

_**'Ludo…Scawd'. Sarah heard his voice as an echo through the forest, but the great monster's lips did not move. A cold wind blew through and Sarah shivered, drawing her cloak in tighter about herself. Ludo looked at her then, a small stone falling from his hands as he stared up at her. **_

_**"Sawah scawd?" He asked, a ghost of his former smile on his face.**_

_**"No I'm – "Sarah began to reassure Ludo, but as soon as she started speaking she watched as he vanished in a cloud of indigo-colored smoke. No sooner had the smoke dissipated when the entire forest broke into a blaze of black and indigo flames. **_

Sarah shot upright in her bed, her breathing hurried and deep as she stared around the sunlit room. It was long past dawn, and it appeared that Sarah's handmaiden had already been in – the bath was prepared and a small meal sat beside the inset basin. Sarah rose and slipped into the bath, grabbing some slices of mango and nectarine out of the basket beside her.

The new dream had been significantly more troubling than the first, and Sarah was starting to wonder if there wasn't more to the dreams than just the absence of her friends. Like the first, the dream had been startlingly vivid and unnerving. There was no way of getting around it – she would have to ask Jareth about her friends today.

She hadn't had the opportunity to ask Jareth about Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus the day before. Although he had promised to meet her for dinner, she had not seen him since he had lead her back to her chambers after lunch. The goblins had brought her meal to her chambers and given her his apologies, but Sarah found that she rather missed his presence – as much as she missed the presence of her cheery little handmaiden this morning. The previous night had been as difficult as all the others before it – although the Labyrinth's magic saw fit to protect her from her thoughts of Marcus during the day, memories of his abuses returned to her at night and she cried herself to sleep, vowing that no man would ever hurt her that way again.

With a sigh, Sarah rose from the bath and crossed to the wardrobe, wrapping a towel about herself. Upon opening the enormous wardrobe, Sarah suddenly understood how Baria managed to select precisely what Sarah wanted – apparently the wardrobe knew what she wanted to wear – and it seemed it was always right. Today she opened it to find a lovely black bodice with bold pink front-lacings. It was paired with a knee-length black skirt and would be worn over a knee-length, off-the-shoulder chemise. Looking down, Sarah noticed a pair of black lace-up boots and a pink hair ribbon sitting on a small shelf near the bottom of the wardrobe – the damn closet thought of everything.

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When Sarah left, her lovely long brown hair tied up into an awkward ponytail with the ribbon, she found the expansive corridors of the castle to be nearly as daunting as they had been the day before, but, hedging her bets, she decided to try and retrace her steps from the previous day. It wasn't long before she found herself standing in the massive entry, looking at the – this time open – double doors that lead out to the Goblin City. The city was bustling in a way Sarah hadn't seen it the last time she had been to the castle. In place of the Goblin guards, there were merchants selling their wares and little Goblin women and children wandering the streets. She smiled and turned away toward the pathway to her left. The corridor was lit by torches that were affixed to the walls, and although a bit gloomy, seemed inviting enough, so Sarah took her first tentative steps into the hall.

The first thing Sarah noticed was that there were no windows along this corridor. With each step she took it felt as though the corridor grew darker – like she was staring at a pinprick of light in the distance, and the focus on it made the room darker. She had taken no more than a few steps when she began to see her breath before her like mist on a cold day. She reached into her little bag and clasped the crystal in her hand, hoping that somehow she could fend off the darkness with it. The torches seemed to be getting further and further apart and Sarah ran her hands along the walls to find her way. She knew that she should turn back and head toward the light in the entrance hall, but instead she took another step to find the ground missing beneath her feet and stumbled, falling down the flight of stairs before her.

* * *

"The Goblin King is outside the kingdom? What should we do with her?"

"Well let's get her out into the light at the very least. "

"What about the crystal? She dropped it, but it didn't break. You don't suppose it will summon Jareth?"

"I don't know, but let's hurry up and get out of here. She's as white as a sheet! There's simply too much mortal in her to be around this many of us!" Sarah shuddered at the sound of the raspy voices that were speaking around her, she still felt cold and nauseous – and immensely afraid – but did not resist as a pair of soft, cool hands picked her up.

"Where am I?"She asked, trying to open her eyes, but the minute she began to blink she felt the same cool hand cover her eyes.

"Do not be afraid, Lady Sarah." The raspy voice assured her, "we are much worse in the darkness – do not open your eyes until we tell you to, alright?" Sarah nodded her head as another wave of nausea swept over her.

"The crystal, Sarah, what does it do? Sarah heard another raspy voice question from behind her.

"I can throw it up into the air to summon Jareth if I'm lost or in trouble."

"Well, I suppose that explains why you had it out when you fell down the stairs. Don't worry, we'll have you summon him when we get outside into the sunlight." As she began to see the light through her eyelids, the voices around her became less raspy and more comforting – the nausea and chill was beginning to dissipate as well.

"Who are you?"

"Guards." Came the first voice again, "My name is Vrees, and this is Hirm." At that, Sarah felt the light of the sun on her bare skin through her closed eyelids and she was set gently down into the soft grass outside the castle. "There we are, Sarah. You can open your eyes now." Sarah opened her eyes and looked up into the eyes of the young man who had carried her into the light. In the light of the sun he looked rather like the ghost of a beautiful young man – it was like something she had seen in a movie. She could see every detail of his face and clothes, only it was a pale grayish color and entirely transparent.

"What are you? You don't look like guards" Sarah said, turning to look at the other young man who had walked with her. He smiled sweetly at her.

"We're Wraiths, Sarah." She looked at them in turn.

"But I thought Wraiths were supposed to be terrifying."

"If you had opened your eyes in the darkness of the dungeons, Sarah, we would have been. But I must say, you are tolerant for a mortal if you do not fear us at all as we are now."

"You look like spirits."

"That is what we are. We were once mortals, but upon passing from that life we were chosen to come to the Underground. You see us now as we truly are – our frightening image is little more than an illusion of the darkness."

"Now, Lady Sarah, I think it's time you called Jareth – he will want to know about this incident." Sarah took the crystal that was offered her and passed between her hands for a moment, looking at the beautiful young men before her.

"Thank you. I don't know many people here in the Underground – perhaps we could meet out here on the lawns again so I could learn more of the Valley of Despair."

"I would love that." Said Hirm, the Wraith who had not carried her up the stairs. "If it's alright with Jareth, of course." He said, returning Sarah's smile as she tossed the crystal into the air and watched it explode in an array multi-colored sparks. It was less than a minute later when Jareth materialized before her.

"What happened, Sarah? Are you alright?" Jareth asked, staring at her pale skin.

"Yes, thanks to my new friends."Sarah said, gesturing behind her to the shimmering forms of the two Wraiths.

"Well, I must say, you are made of stronger stuff than I thought. Many mortals are afraid of Wraiths even in the light of the day." Jareth said, taking a few steps toward her and running his bare hand over her forehead. "But tell me, what happened? Surely you did not get this pale from sitting in the sunlight and talking to Vrees and Hirm."

"I wandered down the hallway to the left of the entry doors. It got very dark and cold, and I'm afraid that's the last thing I remember before I woke to find Vrees carrying me back out here to the lawns."

"She fell down the stairs." Vrees added. "Hirm and I were guarding the main entrance to dungeon, so she fell right beside us and we decided we'd better get her away from the dark and fear down there."

"They've been very good to me." Sarah added hurriedly, remembering that she would need Jareth's blessing if she ever wished to meet with her new friends again. "In fact, Hirm offered to tell me more about the Wraith kingdom, if that's alright with you." She saw Jareth look at her with interest.

"Of course, Sarah. In fact – " he said, producing a new crystal with the flick of his wrist, "if you would like to talk to Hirm, just roll this down that corridor and it will find him and inform you to meet him on this lawn. And this one –" He said, producing another crystal, "Is in case you get lost again." Sarah took the two crystals, noting that the larger one was for if she was lost, and turned to Vrees and Hirm to say goodbye as they left to return to the dungeons.

"Goodbye and thank you for all your help." She said, noting how they were becoming more solid as the sun set. As they disappeared around the corner into the entry hall, Sarah turned back to Jareth. "I hope I didn't interrupt too badly."

"Not at all, you got me out of a rather boring dinner with the nobles from the other kingdoms." He said, laughing dryly. "I would have brought you with as my new courtier, but after today's events, I think you can imagine why I did not bring you with to the ball in the Wraith Kingdom. There is too much that is mortal within you yet, Sarah." He walked Sarah back to the doors to the entry hall. "I think you'll find dinner waiting for you in your chambers, Sarah. Tell Baria what happened, and she'll give you something to help with the pallor and sleeplessness that can come from an encounter such as yours. I should be back from the Valley by morning." With that, he kissed Sarah's hand and disappeared again.

Sarah meandered back to her chambers, taking the only route she knew well enough to trust. The castle had grown dark in the time she had spent outside. Her thoughts strayed to the dark recesses of the dungeons and she wondered what the beautiful young spirits looked like there in the darkness where they guarded prisoners. She knew that she would never have the courage to face them in the darkness – the emotions she had experienced during her trauma-induced blackout had proven that.

She did not know how long she had been unconscious in the darkness at the base of the stairs – and she could not remember falling down them – but she remembered the visions she had seen. It seemed that everything she had ever feared had been shown to her during her blackout. She saw Ludo and Didymus and Hoggle, lying dead at her feet. Visions of her encounters with Marcus flashed before her– every lie he had ever told her echoing through her consciousness. But none of that was the worst of it – Sarah had seen Jareth's death as well. That was what had hurt her the most.

Back in her room, Sarah found her dinner sitting on the nightstand beside her bed along with a small bottle with a note attached. She grasped the note and unfolded it reading about how the elixir would help her sleep. Sarah ate in silence, took the draught and drifted off to sleep, her curtains drawn against the darkness.


	7. Part Two, Chapter Seven

***A/N*Sorry for the slightly late update! I really need to stay on top of this. I had someone threaten to send my own Wraiths after me... Hmmm... maybe I can send them after other authors...Special thanks to my loyal readers: Coralline, JaneDoe1997, notwritten, and MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE. This is my new reward system... review and ur name appears here. Thanks everyone! Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 7**

_**The Bog of Eternal Stench was just as Sarah remembered it. The bridge was gone, replaced by the trail of stones that Ludo had called and the water was still the putrid green color that it had been – minus one thing –the air was 'sweet and fragrant', much as Didymus had described it. Upon crossing the stone bridge, Sarah was startled to find Sir Didymus sitting in the little home that he had emerged from in her first venture there. **_

_**"Sarah, Milady!" He said, leaping down and standing in front of her.**_

_**"Didymus! I've missed you!" **_

_**"We must flee, Milady!" At the end of the sentence, Didymus leapt into the air and vanished in a shower of sparks, much like the crystal she had summoned Jareth with. When she looked up, she was encountered with a wall of murky burgundy and black water coursing towards her.**_

_**Sarah held her breath as the water hit her, dragging her along through the swamp, but the current was too strong and it pulled her under until she was sinking to the bottom, sure of her impending death.**_

This time, Sarah could not hold back the choked scream that escaped from her lips as she shot up in her bed, coughing. It was pouring rain outside and the humidity combined with the heat from the fireplace made it feel as if she were drowning in the warm air in the room. Getting up, Sarah stormed to the door and threw it open breathing in the fresh air from the hallway. The lanterns were still lit, but the corridors were darker without the light which streamed in brilliantly from the windows during the day.

Though she shuddered slightly in the darkness, Sarah stepped out into the corridor. She had never been afraid of the dark before, and she would not let her encounter with Hirm and Vrees change that. _It is the unknown we fear, _she thought, quoting one of her favorite books, _when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more. _She smiled in spite of herself as she turned to wander down the corridor. By now, she had a fairly good idea of how to get to the entry hall, and when she turned the corner and found herself in the kitchens hallway, she turned and pushed open the doors to the kitchen gardens.

Sometime after Sarah had left the humidity of her room the rain had stopped, leaving a dewy mist in the air. All around her, Sarah could see tiny lights hanging from the trees and illuminating a path between hedge walls like the ones she had seen in the labyrinth. The only difference was that these hedge walls were only a few feet tall, allowing her to see over the walls into the gardens beyond.

Sarah did not know how long she wandered the gardens, marveling at sprawling vineyards, enormous greenhouses and fields of vegetables and herbs over the hedges. It was not long, however before she found herself in a huge ring of hedges. She could see paths all around the edges of the ring, which, she assumed, led to other parts of the garden. In the center, there was a group of statues glowing in the starlight, but could not make out who or what they were.

Sarah stopped in the doorway, trying to decide the best way to remember the hedge path that would lead back to the castle, but when she looked down, she saw a single mark on one of the flagstones beneath her feet. It was a delicate thing, the simple red arrow that marked the exit, but Sarah recognized it at once. It was one of the very same arrows she herself had left on the cobblestones when she had run the labyrinth. She knelt down and ran her hand over the lipstick arrow, expecting it to rub off on her hands, but the arrow remained as it was – enchanted somehow to be permanent.

Standing, Sarah crossed to the statues at the center. There she saw what was – indisputably –the most beautiful statue she had ever seen. A perfect replica of Jareth's throne had been carved into white jade, and in front of it a stone Jareth knelt on one knee so he was level with the tiny human child that stood before him, clutching a stuffed animal that looked like a small, white version of Ludo. The girl in the carving looked to be no older than 3 or 4 years old, and although she was smiling up at the Goblin King, the tears she had just cried still stained her cheeks. It was a beautiful scene and around the remarkable statue Sarah could see a million quotes and sayings carved into the pedestal supporting the statues. She had to lean in close to read the engravings, and was shocked at what she saw. The largest quote, directly in the center, read:

_Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave._

Sarah would have found this strange except that all around that quote were smaller ones that she or Jareth had said during her trip through the Labyrinth. Etched into the beautiful jade, it made her childlike innocence and stubbornness seem nearly elegant as Sarah stared at the shimmering stone in the light of the rising sun. As the light of the sun warmed the earth beneath her, Sarah leaned back against the cool stone and closed her eyes, drifting into the first peaceful sleep she'd had since leaving home for college all those years ago.

* * *

When Sarah woke, it was not with a start as she had the three previous nights, but to the caress of smooth leather on the side of her face.

"Sarah?" Sarah raised her face, but did not open her eyes. "Sarah, my Love?" She felt the same hand on her wrist now, urging her gently awake.

"Jareth?" She replied, slowly opening her eyes to find the sun high overhead.

"Sarah, my Love, however did you end up out here?" Jareth asked, settling down beside her on the cobblestone path and leaning against the statue.

"I woke in the night and needed some air. I think I fell asleep at dawn."

"Silly girl. Are you still tired? Would you like to retire to your chambers for a while?" He stood and offered his hand. Once on her feet, Sarah looked around her at the garden and statues once again.

"Who made this beautiful statue?" She saw Jareth's smile broaden.

"It was a group of goblin masons." He answered, "As a gift for my birthday a few months ago. The jade was brought down from the Aboveground." He paused. "It was a great gift." They walked in silence for a time through the sprawling gardens.

"What will you do today, Jareth? Something official?"

"I don't think so. I've already held court today. I was actually hoping you'd be up for a little trip today, my Lady Sarah."

"Wherever to, Your Highness?" Sarah replied, mocking his formality.

"I had hoped to visit my brother today, I would love to introduce him to my new noblewoman." Sarah stopped and looked up at him.

"Not in like… some official capacity?" Jareth looked down at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"No, Sarah. We like to save that sort of thing for fancy balls and dinners. Sometimes, we just visit family – like normal people." Sarah looked back up and smiled.

"How silly of me. What's your brother's name?"

"Did I forget to mention it the other night?" He asked, still wearing that feral smile she remembered from her previous trip to the Labyrinth. "His name is Morpheus."

"Wait." Sarah stopped in her tracks again. "You're brother is the King of Dreams?"

"Of course, Sarah, did you think he was a goblin or something?"

"Well, no. Do you have any other brothers?"

"One. His name is Geoffry."

"The Fae King?"

"Of course. You see, we are the sons of King Somnus and Queen Mnemosyne."

"Sleep and memory."

"Very good, Sarah. Yes, my father was the King of the Loukai and my mother was the Queen of the Fae. Her brother, on the other hand, was the King of the Goblins. My uncle, Jareth, however, was not a benevolent king – in fact, he was killed in a goblin revolt not long after my father died." The shock must have shown on Sarah's face because Jareth paused and contemplated her briefly. "The goblins may seem timid and childlike, Sarah, but they have minds of their own and are a strong-willed race which will not be trampled upon. My mother died shortly thereafter, but not before she could distribute hers, her husband's, and her brother's kingdoms among her three sons."

"One choice, at least, was obvious. My brother Geoffry was the only one among us to ever wield the ability of the Fae to see the memories and thoughts of mortals – therefore the city of Anamnesis would be his. Morpheus and I were both Loukai, however, and both worthy of either throne. So, my mother, in all of her wisdom, designed a test for us. A challenge was prepared by each kingdom; Will, Knowledge, Desire, Memory, Fear and Dreams. The winner would inherit his father's throne as the King of Dreams."

"You lost? I thought you were perfect."

"Yes, Sarah, and I am far from perfect. Do you know which test I failed?"

"Well, I'd guess that you passed will and knowledge – probably memory and fear as well."

"Yes, I passed all the tests – except desire." Jareth look down at her then, and Sarah found herself starring into his mismatched eyes – unable to believe that he couldn't control such a simple emotion. "Queen Ondine called me a fool who wore his heart on his sleeve – it was too easy for me to believe that lust was love."

"I think we have that in common." Now it was Jareth's turn to stop and stare at Sarah in awe. "I believed for far too long that Marcus was in love with me – I was wrong – I know that now."

"Sarah – I didn't mean –"

"Jareth, it's alright. I'm a big girl now and I can look my mistakes in the face. I loved him, but he didn't love me –" Sarah cut off suddenly and looked away from Jareth. It had never occurred to her that Jareth had once felt exactly as she did now. Jareth had been in love with Sarah and she had used him – perhaps not in as despicable a way as she had been used, but he had, indeed, done everything she had asked of him. When she dared to look up at him again, Sarah found that he, too, was avoiding her gaze. She ran her fingers over his wrist to get his attention.

"When are we going to the Loukai Kingdom?"

"Whenever you are ready." He replied, looking down and smiling at her again.

* * *

**Hope I've got you all looking forward to chapter 8! We get to meet Jareth's brother and learn a little about the Goblin Kingdom and the realm of wishes... **

**~Prongsy's Girl**


	8. Part Two, Chapter Eight

**Well, here are are again, with another chapter in the lives of our dear Sarah and Jareth (As told by Prongsy's Girl). Hope you all enjoy the new chapter! Shout out to: KCDaMofo, Ikuni Hattori, Coralline, MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE, and notwritten. Thanks for your reviews!**

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**Chapter 8**

_**For the first time, Sarah had no conception of where she was. The forests and meadows outside the carriage windows were dark and unfamiliar, seemingly nothing like the beautiful and mysterious Labyrinth that she loved. The worst part was there was no one with her to talk to or question—she was all alone on this long, horrible journey.**_

_**The further she travelled, the colder and darker the journey became until Sarah found herself lying on the seat of the carriage, rocking herself back and forth as the roads become rougher. When she heard the neighing of the horses and the screeching of the wheels on the rocks, her shivering heightened and the carriage slid off the cliff. Sarah sighed –the long, cold ride was over. **_

This time when Sarah awoke, she managed to suppress the scream that threatened to explode from her. This was fortunate because the moment she opened her eyes she remembered that she was in a carriage riding in an unfamiliar land. She was not, however, alone as she had fallen asleep on the shoulder of the Goblin King.

Sitting up, Sarah looked around the carriage and out the windows. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't the fairytale carriage ride through the Forest of Spirits that she was experiencing now. She had expected the forest to be frightening in some way, but instead she found it to be bright and inviting, and like the Labyrinth, exuding an amazing aura of magic. But, as she had expected, Sarah also found that the musty smell of evergreen wood and pine needles could, in no way, replace the smell of Labyrinth dust and magic she had found in Jareth's kingdom.

As they continued the journey, Jareth began telling Sarah about the history of the Loukai and of many of the prominent royals and their Loki forms.

"Often," Jareth explained, "our animal form is the embodiment of a portion of our personalities – a trait which we have always expressed. My form is the owl, a symbol for my love of knowledge. Morpheus' is a falcon – you see, he always had a profound gift of prophesy and spirit. You will find, Sarah, that Morpheus is an extremely insightful man – it is likely he will know more about you that I do by the end of this day." Sarah looked away, trying to act casual as she glanced out the window. Just then, the forest cleared and Sarah could see the beautiful crystal palace of King Morpheus. She held her breath – awed by the beauty of the palace as the carriage descended the hill.

* * *

"Jareth! My dear brother! How lovely it is to see you." Sarah stared in awe at the man who had – moments before – been a falcon perched on the edge of the crystal throne. He was a nearly perfect twin of his brother, with only two exceptions. His hair was dark, almost black, and his eyes, though mismatched like his brother's, were blue and yellow. "And who is this lovely creature whom has accompanied you?" King Morpheus asked, his gaze finally falling on Sarah where she stood – trying to look obscure – behind Jareth.

"Ah, Morpheus, this is my newest noble, Lady Sarah." He looked at her, a smile warming his features before he continued, "Sarah, this is my brother, King Morpheus." Sarah moved to curtsey, but Morpheus held up his hand with a laugh.

"My dear Sarah, I think we can skip the formalities. Anyone as close to my brother as you needs them not." Sarah looked up at him incredulously. "I have never seen anyone accompany Jareth on a personal visit before – particularly a mortal. It is a mark of his position as Goblin King. To further my assumption it would seem that you hide behind him when you are nervous or shy. That is a habit that even the small children he cares for do not generally develop. To most, my brother and I are fairly frightening men. What do you call my brother, Sarah?"

"Jareth."

"As I thought, my dear Sarah. You shall call me Morpheus." Just then Jareth laughed.

"I tried to warn her of your exceptional gift, but I'm afraid it is something that must be experienced. Sarah, my love, perhaps you will accompany Lady Rinalda." Jareth suggested, pointing out an elegantly dressed woman in the corner. "I imagine it will be more enjoyable then having Morpheus here tell your life's story." Sarah laughed and moved to follow Lady Rinalda, but before she could step away, she felt Jareth's hand in her own briefly as he ran his hand up her wrist and then back into her palm where he dropped a small crystal. "Just to stay in touch, Love." He whispered and let go of her hand, allowing her to drift away to Rinalda.

The two walked away down a nearby corridor, walking in silence until they could no longer hear the voices of the men behind them.

"I remember you." Rinalda said suddenly.

"I don't think we've ever met, Lad—"

"Call me Rinalda, and no we haven't… really. I was one of the Loukai in your dream."

"Wait… that was real? The dream that Jareth and I danced in?"

"It was very real, Sarah." She paused, as though contemplating the event that had occurred six years previously. "It was an interesting bit of magic… an intricate combination of Morpheus and Jareth's magic. It would have been much easier to simply make it an illusion."

"How so?"

"Well," Rinalda began, leaning back against a tapestry portraying the Forest of Spirits. "Morpheus controls the realm of dreams and uses us, the Loukai, as actors in those dreams. Dreams – you must understand – are not only illusions… they are journeys that your spirit takes. To do what he did, Jareth and Morpheus had to create an illusionary ballroom based on the one in the Goblin Palace, fill it with Loukai actors, and transport you there in a dreamlike state that would assume was just that – a dream. It sounds rather simple, but it was a very sophisticated plan. What I want to know, Sarah, is what you are doing here. I thought you had already conquered Jareth's Labyrinth."

"I did conquer the Labyrinth, but that was six long years ago. A lot has happened since." Sarah sighed and leaned against the wall with Rinalda. "I grew up and fell in love with a man named Marcus Reynolds. He was a professor of literature at the university I was attending. I was hopelessly in love with him and convinced that his love for me was absolutely undying. I thought he wanted to be with me." Sarah paused and crossed her arms. "I was wrong. He inadvertently wished me away while making fun of me for reading the book, Labyrinth, and Jareth came and handed me a crystal, sending me back to The Underground. It wasn't long after that that Jareth told me that Marcus had chosen not to run for me and I was given several options – among which was remaining in the castle with him and becoming a Goblin Noble." Sarah sighed and closed her eyes.

"That's an unusual story, Sarah." She paused as though thinking, "I don't pretend to know everything about the realm of wishes, but I do know that it is very difficult to wish away adults."

"How so?" Sarah asked, but Rinalda laughed.

"Imagine, Sarah, if every scorned lover could wish her boyfriend away. A child's wishes are fairly straightforward – an adult's are much more complicated. If Marcus hadn't loved you at all, he would not have been able to wish you away. A successful wish requires love, but sincerity and sometimes even anger. "

"How do you know all this?"

"I lived in the Goblin Kingdom for a while after I was wished away, but I quickly developed an affinity for the Loukai. I was granted my Loki form on my first visit to the Forest of Spirits."

"Who makes the decision if a wish is successful?"

"Jareth. Ultimately, there are so many rules, but in the end – the decision really lies with him." Rinalda turned and began walking down the corridor again, but Sarah remained where she was. "Are you all right, Sarah?"

"Rinalda? Do you think my being who I am had anything to do with the success of Marcus's wish?"

"That, my Lady Sarah, I do not know. You will have to ask Jareth about that." The two walked about the grounds for some time before Rinalda lead Sarah back to the throne room where she had met Morpheus. Within, they found the two brothers sitting in the corner on lounge chairs speaking in low voices.

"Morpheus?" Rinalda called tentatively. "Shall we come back in a while?"

"No." Jareth said, rising immediately and crossing to Sarah. "Sarah, Love, perhaps you will sit with my brother and I for a time. Some of the business may concern you now."

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As Jareth conjured another chair from the air for her, he couldn't help but remember the conversation that he and his brother had just shared. If his brother had been anything, he had always honest and forthright with him.

"_So, dear Brother, where did this beautiful and mysterious mortal, Lady Sarah, come from? Surely, she is not the same Sarah from six years ago… the one who escaped your charms?"_

"_Ah, but she is." Jareth replied, watching his brother's expression change from smugness to surprise._

"_However did she end up back in our realm again, Jareth? You could not have removed her against her will. Nemesis would not allow it."_

"_No, Morpheus, I did not. She was wished away by her lover." Morpheus paused._

"_Jareth? Had it not been Sarah Williams, would she have been wished away?"_

"_I don't know. All I know is that when I saw the way he treated her, I had to get her away from the abuse and pain she had and would experience from him. I like to think that I would have reacted the same way to any woman in Sarah's position."_

"_Yes, Jareth, I'm sure you would like to think that, but you never got over Sarah Williams, did you?" Jareth looked away from his brother toward the door just in time to see Sarah and Rinalda return. _

"Now, Jareth, I am actually quite glad you came to visit me – I had meant to send a messenger to you soon."

"Oh?" Jareth replied, cocking his head in a very owl-like way.

"I believe we may soon be having troubles with the Deepground again. There have been stirrings." Jareth flinched at the mention of the Deepground. Very little good came from that word.

"The Deepground?"

"Yes, Love, the Deepground is the third level of this world – the deepest level and they do tend to resent it upon occasion."

"Why?"

"The boundary between the Deepground and the Underground, like that between Underground and the Aboveground, is a magical boundary. The Underground is the only level that can wield magic. Unlike the Aboveground, however, the Deepground is aware of the Underground and they covet our power."

"So, they have no dealings with mortals?"

"No, they do." Jareth replied, straightening his gloves. "I think you will understand the role of the Deepgrounders. They are invisible in the Aboveground, but they are responsible for the dark whispers of cruelty and evil that many mortals hear and some respond to. The worst things in your world stem from them; cruelty, malice, hatred, insanity, bigotry all stem from their foul seed. But, as you may have noticed, I said some respond to these – the true source of the Deepgrounders' hatred of us comes from the fact that they cannot make mortals respond. They believe that with the help of our magic, they will be able to make them respond." Jareth looked at Sarah; she was staring at him with an obvious expression disbelief and shock.

"You have questions, Sarah." Morpheus added, "Let us answer them for you."

"But, why?

"Why do they want to control the mortals?" Morpheus asked, and Jareth watched as Sarah nodded. "I cannot say that I truly understand. I suppose, on some level, they are very much like the citizens of the Underground. We play a role and in exchange, the existence of the mortals gives us a purpose in life."

"Tell me, Morpheus, what is the current threat?" Jareth asked, reaching out and taking Sarah's hand in his own to calm her.

"Nothing concrete yet, Brother, not even a whisper – simply a feeling felt by some of my subjects who are new to the Underground. I wonder, Sarah, if you have noticed anything unusual?"

"I highly doubt she would be able to tell unusual yet. She's only been in the Underground for four days." Jareth responded, still holding Sarah's hand in his own.

"I suppose that is true. There have been no sightings yet, but I assure you that I will keep you updated, Jareth."

"Please do." Jareth replied, rising to his feet and holding out his hand to help Sarah up. "I think we should be going now though, Morpheus. I'm sure we both have duties to fulfill."

"Of that I am sure, dear Brother." Morpheus said, rising as well.

"With your permission, Morpheus, I will take a slightly more direct route for Sarah and I than the one by which we arrived."

"I take it you decidedly do have duties to fulfill?" Morpheus asked and Jareth nodded.

"Very well. You have my permission, Jareth. I hope to see you again soon." Jareth nodded and used his crystal to vanish and appear in his chambers with Sarah at his side.

Jareth sighed and cursed under his breath. Ondine had truly been right about him – lust and love were his vices. He lacked in his ability to keep his mind clear whenever he touched her deliciously soft skin. He looked to Sarah, expecting to see her shocked or even offended at finding herself in his chambers, but instead she looked fascinated and intrigued.

"Sarah, I—"

"These are your chambers, aren't they?"

"Yes." Jareth whispered, realizing for the first time that his fingers were now intertwined with hers and she was standing remarkably close to him – so close that he could smell the perfume she was wearing. Jareth's eyes fluttered closed and he drew in a sharp breath as he felt her run her hand up his arm to the elbow.

"Jareth." The sound of her voice, spoken at barely a whisper, caused him to open his eyes and look straight into her's. She was close, so close that Jareth could hardly think about anything other than the curves beneath her gown or the fullness of her lips. Only one thing could possibly be stronger than his desire to run his hand up her waist and caress those curves and kiss those lips. He felt the familiar pull on his consciousness as he stared at her. He closed his eyes, trying so hard to focus himself on his duty.

"Sarah." He said, noting how weak his own voice was, "I have to go. I'm sorry." Sarah released his hand and looked down. He never meant to hurt her, but he was sure that she was crushed by his rejection. "No, Sarah. I – it's not that. I'm being summoned. I have to respond, but please join me for dinner. Please." He could hear the pleading in his own voice, but at that moment, as Sarah smiled up at him again, he couldn't care less.

"Of course, Jareth. You couldn't keep me away."

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**Now, you may be sensing a good J/S chapter coming. Chapter 9 is probably one of my favorites... so if I'm feeling particularly like I'm in the Christmas Spirit... you may get it early. Can't wait to post it!**

**~Prongsy's Girl**


	9. Part Two, Chapter Nine

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*A/N* Hi, welcome back! I decided to update early as a bit of a Christmas present to everyone. This is probably one of my favorite chapters... a little of the Underground development, but mostly just great Jareth/Sarah romance! Shoutouts to Miya Silver, Coralline, and not written. Special shoutout to Coralline because that was an awesome review! Enjoy!

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**Chapter 9**

_**It was as dark as ever in the cold tunnels beneath the Labyrinth as Sarah took a step closer to where she remembered seeing Jareth dressed as the beggar. She was sure that if she could reach that area the darkness would lift. In the distance she could see it, a light that glowed in shades of beige that reminded her of sand on a beach. She knew that in that light there would be comfort and peace if only she could reach it.**_

_**Closer and closer, Sarah's steps took her to the source of light and, although she hardly dared believe it, love. Jareth would be there. No sooner had Sarah reached it, when the light turned off and Sarah found herself, once again, enshrouded in darkness. She could hear sounds all around her – the scratching of claws on stone and the steady breathing of creatures shorter than herself. Sarah's breath caught in her throat and she licked her lips – willing herself away from this place, away from the death she knew approached. The sounds came closer and she closed her eyes tight. **_

_**A blinding flash of light met her closed lids and Sarah opened them to find the room emblazoned with a shock of ivory light so bright that she could hardly discern the shapes around her – the shapes that would be the instrument of her death. She fell to her knees as the coyotes surrounded her, screaming in hopes that Jareth would find her before it was too late.**_

Sarah suppressed the scream that threatened to escape from her as she shot up in bed. She could feel her heartbeat resounding like beats on a drum. Slowly, Sarah sat back and closed her eyes. Her mind craved the sight of her king and she imagined him somewhere in the Labyrinth, challenging the new wisher. Perhaps she, too, lusted for the Goblin King as Sarah had. The thought irked her a little before she remembered that she was to have dinner with Jareth. He had promised to see her, practically begged, before transforming into an owl and flying away to confront the wisher.

She knew that she hadn't been asleep for very long; the sun was still setting over the dusty brown horizons of the labyrinth. Baria would be in soon to help her get ready for dinner, and Jareth would soon be finishing with the wisher who he had responded to.

Inwardly, Sarah mused on what might have been had Jareth not left her earlier that morning in his chambers. She had been mesmerized by the beautiful simplicity of his chambers. The entire room had been decorated in black and silver. The stones that tiled the floor had been shining obsidian and the bed was adorned in black and silver linens and blankets. The bath was inlaid, much like hers, except that it was rimed in silver and tiled, with the same rich black obsidian as the rest of the room. It had been much as Sarah had imagined it – much like Jareth himself. It was mysterious, but straightforward. It was not embellished or ornate. The black and silver décor had reminded her of Jareth himself – his dark clothes and platinum blonde hair. There was a small knock on the door and Sarah looked up to see Baria enter the room, a cheerful smile on her face.

"Good evening, Baria!" Sarah exclaimed, knowing that the excitement was evident in her voice. Baria bowed a little, as was her custom, and moved to the bath to draw it for Sarah, the smile still on her face. "Now, what has you so cheerful?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the young goblin.

"I have heard that the King is in a rather good mood." Baria replied, smiling at Sarah. "He arrived back at the castle nearly an hour ago from the labyrinth and went to his chambers."

"And the wisher?" Sarah asked.

"She gave up early, only a couple of hours into her run. The little girl is in the nursery." Baria paused and turned to look at Sarah. "Would Lady Sarah like to see her?"

"Yes. Thank you, Baria." With that, Baria led Sarah out into the corridors and down an unfamiliar hallway. Sarah tried to remember the way, but as happened so frequently in the castle beyond the goblin city, Sarah was lost. She could tell, however, that they were in a different wing of the castle – the dusk light no longer shone through the windows and the walls were decorated with stained glass windows on the east side to catch the dawn rays.

Ahead of her, Baria motioned for Sarah to open the small, unremarkable door. Beyond it, Sarah saw the most beautiful thing she could have imagined. Still in his traveling clothes, Jareth knelt holding a little girl of about two years old in his arms as she cried. Sarah pulled the door closed, but did not latch it, lest Jareth hear the door and look up.

The little girl hiccupped as she cried and Sarah watched as Jareth patted her back and spoke into her ear – too quietly for Sarah to hear. The little girl looked so tired that she was not surprised when Jareth stood and collected the little girl into his arms – her head on his shoulder and rocked her gently until her tears subsided and she fell asleep in his arms.

Sarah placed her hand over her lips as a tear fell down her cheek. It was the most beautiful and tragic thing she had ever seen. She knew that that little girl would never forget her mother – no matter what the woman had been like or done to her. There was more to it than that though – there was something beautiful in watching Jareth, the villain of her dreams when she was fifteen, so tenderly caring for the beautiful little girl. Jareth had not been a villain in nearly five years though, Sarah realized as she watched him. She had not been able to think of him as a villain since she had faced him in the Escher room – he had been too human in that moment. Yes, it had taken her the better part of a year to realize what he had truly offered her and what she had truly meant to him, but she thought she understood it now.

Just then Jareth turned and saw her. His expression was softened with sadness as he crossed to her and took her hand. Sarah looked down to the cobbled floor, ashamed of her tears until Jareth wiped the tears from her cheeks and lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"Come see her, Sarah." He whispered, leading her to the crib in the opposite corner of the small nursery. The little girl was asleep now, her arms securely around a large stuffed animal which resembled an oversized, particularly furry Goblin. Her long, deep red hair was arranged in two French braids on either side of her head and secured with black ribbons. Someone in the Underground must have cleaned her up and braided her hair.

It wasn't until the little girl rolled over that Sarah saw the bruises on her arms and legs and she gasped, fresh tears escaping from her eyes. She felt Jareth's hand on the small of her back as he pulled her closer to him.

"Her name is Faith. Her mother is only sixteen years old and gave birth to her when she was fourteen." Sarah watched him pause and look down at the little girl again. "I believe she is better off here in the Underground."

"What will happen to her now?"

"That depends, Sarah. There are a number of young families in various kingdoms who are looking to adopt, but it is also a matter of where Faith will fit into the Underground."

"Where she fits in?"

"Yes. You see, most of the wished away quickly develop an affinity for a kingdom of their own. I'm sure Rinalda told you that she quickly developed an affinity for the Kingdom of Dreams. The only kingdom which does not accept the wished away is Kingdom of Fear – they accept only the souls of the dead."

"What about me?"

"You were already intricately tied to the Underground and to my kingdom, Sarah. Choice is a powerful thing in this world. You made a choice and the Underground will not fight that. But, come Sarah, dinner will be served soon and neither of us is dressed for it. I assure you, Faith will be in good hands." Sure enough, as Sarah and Jareth were leaving, two young goblins entered the room and began tidying up as little Faith slept.

Jareth walked Sarah to her door, lingering for only a moment, his hand still entwined with hers as he looked down at her. Sarah noticed that the majority of his platinum blonde hair had been tied back while he was with the little girl, but that the remaining pieces framed his face. It was a look that would have been absurd on any other man, but on Jareth, it seemed acceptable. He was close enough that Sarah could smell the scent of magic and labyrinth dust that always cloaked him like cologne. Sarah drew in a deep breath, but Jareth straightened up and let go of her hand.

"I'll see you at dinner, Sarah." He said and turned to walk away, leaving Sarah alone in the corridor. She saw Baria coming down the hallway and turned to open the door. Inside, the bath was still hot and Sarah bathed as Baria selected a dress for her to wear to dinner.

Again, Sarah was taken back to the scene a few hours previously when she had found herself in Jareth's chambers. The smell of him had enveloped her then too. She had been excited and anxious – hoping Jareth would kiss her. Chills ran down her spine as she imagined him taking her. Sarah was, by no definition, a virgin, but somehow she knew that being with Jareth would be different.

Looking up, she saw Baria holding up a large towel and she rose from the bath to dry herself. Tonight, the wardrobe had chosen a deep blue dress with a slit down the bodice which very nearly showed her dipping neckline crimson chemise. The bottom of the dress displayed a beautiful gold border and the neckline was adorned with intricate gold embroidery. The wardrobe had also given Baria a set of red and gold combs which she arranged in Sarah's curled hair until it was half-up with her long curls cascading down her back.

Sarah stepped into her dark blue flats and stood in front of the mirror. The girl who looked back at her was barely recognizable as the Sarah Williams who wore miniskirts to school and had an affair with a professor of English. This girl was poised, confident and remarkable. Sarah jumped as she heard a knock on the door, and Baria rushed to let in Gormack, the very same goblin who had led her to dinner her first night in the Labyrinth.

"Lady Sarah, I come to escort you to dinner. His majesty is waiting." He said in his small voice as Sarah crossed to the door. Out into the hallway, Sarah and Gormack walked towards the great hall, talking a bit as they passed interesting portraits, but it was not long before Sarah found herself in the entry hall, looking at the giant double doors being held open by the goblin servants. The last time she had stood in this spot, she had been dreading the knowledge of the fate she had ahead of her – this time she was not afraid or nervous. This time, she knew that the Goblin King, Jareth, was waiting within and that she could not wait to see his beautiful face. Sarah smiled. What a difference a week had made.

* * *

After dinner, Sarah and Jareth found themselves walking out in the garden under the full moon. Sarah looked up, amazed at the beauty of the night. She had never stopped to wonder how the moon shown in a place called "The Underground". Sarah stopped and leaned against the wall, looking up at the Goblin King as the silver light of the moon reflected off his platinum blonde hair. Beyond him, she could see the vineyards stretching off into the distance, and, beyond them, the Labyrinth. It was beautiful – everything before Sarah in that moment was beautiful.

"Sarah." Jareth whispered, and Sarah watched him take a step closer to her, his eyes locked with hers. "So long – we should have been together." Sarah cast her eyes down.

"I know." She kicked at the dust beneath her feet.

"No, Sarah. I was foolish – you were young, but it has felt like an eternity since you left the Labyrinth."

"Six years."

"For you, Sarah. For me, it has been only six months, but it feels like six decades."

"How did you forgive me, Jareth?" Sarah said, looking up to meet his mismatched gaze with her green one. "How do you forgive my pride and arrogance and naiveté? I have had six years to learn and grow and understand what really happened that night, but you had hardly anytime at all. How is it that you don't hate me?"

"I had more to hate myself for, Sarah." Jareth paused and ran his hand through the curls that cascaded down her back. "I lost you. I was overeager and foolish – I was under Ondine's control and I could not see it for myself. She laughed at me for that later, but I was a broken man for having lost the one thing that meant so much to me."

"Jareth, I—" Before Sarah could finish her sentence, Jareth leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Once they parted, she looked up into his eyes – she could still feeling his fingers entwined in her curls.

"I love you, Sarah." Sarah took a deep breath and bit her bottom lip, her gaze still locked with his. She had never thought or dreamed to hear those words from him – from Jareth. She knew that she had always loved him – even Marcus was only a poor substitute for the one man she'd ever really loved.

"I love you. I've always loved you, Jareth – since I was fifteen. I don't think I ever really loved anyone else."

"Sarah." Sarah wrapped her arms about Jareth's neck, tangling her hands in his long hair as he kissed her, drawing her near. She felt the familiar whirling sensation of traveling by crystal, and when Sarah opened her eyes, she knew exactly where they were. Jareth seemed to hesitate, but Sarah pulled him close again, her hand skimming up and down his chest as he kissed her, pulling her back with him toward the silver and black dressed bed.

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**Hope you all enjoyed! Another update friday and then back to the normal schedule (Every Friday).**

**~Prongsy's Girl**


	10. Part Two, Chapter Ten

**A/N* Not much of an introduction on this one, kids. Hope you enjoy. Shoutouts to Coralline, MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE, notwritten, Ikuni Hattori, and KCDaMofo. Thanks for your great reviews!**

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**Chapter 10**

_**The moment Sarah opened her eyes, she knew that this was not right and that something was horribly wrong. In the distance, she could hear wailing and weeping, as though the entire city were in tears. Sarah looked about herself, she was enveloped in the silken blankets and sheets in Jareth's chambers – but he was nowhere to be seen. Sarah stared up at the ceiling and hot tears began to burn their way down her cheeks. She did not know why she was crying – she only knew that there was a reason she should be crying. **_

_**Finally, Sarah rose from the bed to look out the window onto the Labyrinth. Beyond the window, however there was no Labyrinth – the beautiful land had been replaced with a maroon and crimson stained battlefield. Bodies were strewn about the field –mostly goblins, but amongst them, Sarah saw a flash of silver blonde. **_

_**She ran out of the castle as fast as her feet could carry her. Outside the light was bright—so bright that she could hardly see the desecrated battlefield before her. She started shifting through the bodies – goblin men, women and children. The entire city had been taken. **_

_**Suddenly, Sarah felt something solid beneath her feet. Bending down, Sarah retrieved the silver medallion. She ran her fingers over the smooth medal—the edges were slightly sharp and she scratched her finger on the polished surface. She watched as the blood dripped from the cut and fell onto the blood-soaked ground. She took another step into the battlefield, fear rising in her throat like a scream. She was sure that if she kept walking, the world would fall down.**_

_**She fell to her knees when she saw him. His platinum blonde hair was stained red with his blood, and his eyes staring into nothing. She ran her hands through his hair and rested her forehead against his – tears coursing down her cheeks. Behind her, she heard the crunching of footsteps, but she did not turn away from her Jareth – it was as if he were the only thing in this world. **_

_**She knew that she was about to die. The same who had killed him would kill her, but she welcomed it. She would be with her Jareth again. **_

As Sarah became aware of herself in the morning light, she felt the same hot tears staining her face and her pillow. She felt Jareth's hand on her waist, holding her close. She hoped he had not seen her nightmare – perhaps that would save some explanations.

"Sarah?" She heard her name whispered in his deep, melodic voice – but it sounded scared and worried. She felt his other hand in her hair and then on her face, wiping her tears away. "What happened, Sarah?" Sarah opened her eyes and looked into Jareth's. She had never been so happy to see his mismatched eyes –so full of life that she began weeping anew. She looked at him, taking in every detail of the Goblin King as though she had never seen him before. Her eyes fell on the medallion which lay, shimmering in the morning sun, on his bare chest. She traced it with her finger, but the edges were not nearly as sharp as they had been in the nightmare. "Sarah?"

"Nightmare." She whispered, her voice small.

"What?" Jareth looked baffled and troubled.

"Just… a nightmare. I've had them a lot since I arrived in the Underground." She said, looking up at him at last.

"Sarah," He looked pained as he tried to find the words to finish. "We don't dream in the Underground."

"What?" She asked, her hands ceasing their tracing of the medallion on his chest, and he looked down at her gravely.

"Sarah, because we are too near the Kingdom of Dreams, we don't dream in the Underground."

"What's happening to me, Jareth?"

"Tell me about your dream, Love." He whispered, holding her tighter.

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Jareth listened intently, his arms tight about her as she began telling her dream. She was still trembling. She reached out and ran her finger along his medallion again as she told of finding the medallion in the field and cutting her hand on it.

"The edges used to be sharp, when it was new." He said, taking her hand from his medallion and kissing her fingers in turn – but there were no marks on her perfect hands. She looked up at him again. "Please continue, Sarah." She told more then – of finding him in the battlefield and knowing her death was approaching – her tears unceasing from the moment she admitted to finding his body.

Jareth did not know what to say, and so he simply held her instead. He could imagine how she felt – so scared and sad. Although he did not dream in the Underground, he had asked Morpheus for dreams before – right after Sarah left the first time. They had not always been pleasant dreams.

"What is your medallion, Jareth? I've never seen you take it off, even last night." Jareth jumped a little – her voice had startled him out of his rumination. She sat up and Jareth adjusted himself so he was level with her, his arm still about her.

"It is a symbol of my position." Jareth said, running his hands over the smooth metal. "It's more than a symbol, actually. A crown is a symbol; this is something more – in many ways, you could say that it is my power."

"So, what would happen if you took it off?"

"I don't know. I have never taken it off." He turned his hand and looked at the thin, white scar that ran down his middle finger. He had gotten it from the medallion many years ago and he supposed that it was very much like the cut on Sarah's hand in the dream. Jareth smiled as he felt Sarah's hand in hair. He looked at her; she had leaned close, her eyes dancing a little as the dream slipped away. "Is that devious expression of yours natural or do you have to put in an effort to achieve it?"

"It's natural." She replied, smiling.

"I would have known." Jareth said as he leaned down and kissed her. In a flurry, he remembered the night before. He could hardly believe what had happened between them – their love and passion had been remarkable and he knew he'd never take back anything he'd said or done last night. It had all been true – he knew – had always known – that Sarah was the only woman for him in this or any world.

"Don't you have duties to attend to?" Sarah asked.

"It is still very early, Love." He said, kissing her lightly again. "But as you are awake, have you ever seen the sunrise over the Labyrinth?"

"Only out my window."

"You must see it properly. It's the most beautiful thing in this world." Jareth replied, standing and crossing to the wardrobe which revealed an appropriate outfit for him. He turned to look at Sarah, she was standing with the sheet wrapped about her, but even through it, he could see her gentle curves. She had grown up a lot since she was fifteen. "Come here." He said, closing the wardrobe. "Let my wardrobe select something for you. You are driving me out of my mind standing there in that sheet." She smiled, but sauntered by him and pulled open the wardrobe.

Jareth turned and walked to the window. He knew that he would lose what little control he had if he watched her remove that sheet. He turned again when he heard her coming up behind him. She was wearing an elaborate black bodice with deep crimson ties all the way up the front and a long black skirt. He ran his hands around her waist and leaned in, breathing in the smell of her hair.

"Come, My Love, let's go." He whispered, summoning a crystal in one hand while his other was still around her waist. In a twist of the crystal, he and Sarah were standing on the top of the keep looking out at the Labyrinth in all directions. The sun was just appearing over the hills between his kingdom and the others and he heard Sarah gasp as the light fell on the Labyrinth – illuminating its red sandstone walls.

"Is this real?"

"Very real, Sarah." The two of them stood in silence arms about one another as the sun rose – bringing light to all that had once been in the dark.

_**Sonnet 27**_

_Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,_

_The dear repose for limbs with travail tired;_

_But then begins a journey in my head_

_To work my mind, when body's work's expired._

_For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,_

_Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,_

_And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,_

_Looking on darkness which the blind do see._

_Save that my __**soul's imaginary sight**_

_Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,_

_Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,_

_Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new._

_Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind,_

_For thee, and for myself, no quiet find._


	11. Part Three, Chapter Eleven

***A/N* So, here we are, children - part three, "What Wretched Errors Hath my Heart Committed". You guys have all figured out the theme to all this, ya? The parts are named after sonnets. So, this chapter is A LOT of plot development for the Underground and some of Jareth and Sarah's connection/fluff development. Enjoy this early christmas present since I don't anticipate updating tomorrow! Shoutouts to: Coralline, MISS-DEATH-WAS-HERE, notwritten, Ikuni Hattori, and CharleyBeanieX. Thanks for your reviews and Merry Christmas!**

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**Part Three; **

**What Wretched Errors hath my Heart Committed**

**Chapter 11**

"What happens now?" Sarah asked, sitting on Jareth's bed with her legs crossed as he stood at the window looking out at the Labyrinth.

"Regarding what, Love?"

"Everything."

"Much. I have called upon the five other rulers to meet and discuss the Deepground."

"So you're that sure my nightmares concern the Deepground?"

"Reasonably."

"And what about us?" Sarah asked, watching as Jareth turned about sharply to look at her. She was afraid, in that moment, that he would tell her that there was nothing between them – that she had been Ondine's thrall once again, just as she had been with Marcus.

"What about us, Sarah?" In that moment, she knew it. She had been wrong again and she turned away from him and climbed down off the elegant bed. No sooner had she taken two steps, however, when she heard Jareth's voice again.

"Wait, Love. I didn't mean – " Sarah stopped and turned slowly raising her gaze to look into his mismatched eyes. "Nothing can change us, Sarah. I meant it when I said that I loved you last night. I curse that man who made you like this." Jareth approached her and she felt his hands on her waist and in her hair. "I love you, Sarah Williams." He said, kissing her gently. Finally, she felt a smile creeping back onto her face.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Then, I love you as well, My Liege." She replied, smiling fully at last. He smiled back, shaking his head.

"Now, that just sounds odd. Respect from you? I shudder at the very thought." He replied, kissing her again and she wound her arms over his shoulders, tangling her hands in his long hair.

"How long do we have before the other rulers arrive?" Sarah murmured between kisses as Jareth's hands run up her waist toward her bodice.

"Not long enough." Jareth replied with a sigh, dropping his head to look down at the floor as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Later."Sarah whispered, lifting his face and kissing him again. "We have forever, right?"

"For all intents and purposes." Jareth replied, smiling that devious smile that Sarah loved so well.

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As Sarah sat in the throne room with the six great rulers of the Underground, she had never felt quite so scrutinized in all her life. The first to arrive had been Morpheus, for which Sarah was grateful as she had, at least, met him before. Unfortunately, Morpheus seemed to notice the change in Jareth and Sarah, as was his custom to be terribly insightful. He had said nothing, but merely looked at his brother and then at Sarah and smiled a little – promising to speak to Jareth later in private before taking his seat on Jareth's other side.

The second to arrive was a woman whose very presence sent shivers down Sarah's spine. Nemesis was a tall and dark woman, whose hair was so dark and straight that it made Sarah's seem fair. She, like Vrees and Hirm, had a wraith-like appearance, but was not nearly as transparent. Like all the other rulers, she seemed to see straight through Sarah, and she had smiled as Sarah cringed away slightly and scooted her chair closer to Jareth's.

Coeus was a fascinating man who reminded Sarah much of the elderly dean at her college in the Aboveground. Wisdom seemed to emulate from him. Jareth explained that while Coeus was born a centaur, he had a shape-shifting ability to allow him to transform into a Fae-like form. He looked at Sarah and smiled, much like a wise, old man and took his seat beside Nemesis. The Wraith Queen looked at him, but he looked back, smiling. Fear, Sarah realized, could not penetrate Knowledge.

No introduction was needed when Geoffry entered the throne room – Sarah recognized the third brother the moment she saw him. He was tall and light-skinned, like his brothers, but his hair was a rich mahogany brown. Like Jareth and Morpheus he had a calm demeanor, but he looked at Sarah longer than any of the other rulers before he sat down. The odd thing was that it seemed the longer he looked at her, the broader his smile became. Sarah looked at Jareth who looked slightly abashed, but was still smiling up at his brother. When Geoffry sat on Sarah's other side she noticed that, unlike his brothers, his eyes were both the same beautiful blue. He smiled at Sarah, and then creased his brow and looked away toward the other rulers.

The last to arrive was Ondine, a woman unlike any Sarah had ever seen. Of course, like all the other Fae-like rulers, she had an unearthly, enlightened quality, but she was also significantly more distinct than the others. Her hair was a shock of rich blue, like something Sarah remembered from a Disney movie and her skin was fairer and whiter than anyone else in the room. She walked differently, too, with a special air of someone who understood much more than the average woman. She, as Jareth explained, was much like Coeus – born a Siren, but granted a shape-shifting ability that made meetings like this possible. She walked into the room, smiled, and began looking around the room until her gaze fell on Sarah. Beside her, Sarah heard Jareth chuckle a little and Ondine cocked her head to the side before laughing and sitting on Geoffry's other side.

"So, Jareth," Ondine said, leaning forward onto the table in a seductive way that made Sarah clench her teeth, "Why did you call us all here? Surely it was not just to introduce us to your lovely mortal pet." Sarah saw Jareth clench up too and glare at Ondine.

"You never fail to amuse, do you Ondine?"

"Never, Jareth." She said, a wicked smile on her lips. Beneath the table, Jareth took Sarah's hand, his fingers intertwining with hers.

"I have called you all here because there have been signs." He began, looking about the table at the other rulers, "I believe the Deepground is on the move again."

"Again? Are you sure?" Coeus asked, straightening his glasses.

"They haven't struck since your father was king, Jareth. Are you certain it's not just turmoil below that you are sensing?" Ondine added, all seduction and jesting gone.

"Wait, Jareth." Morpheus began, holding his hands up, "On what are you basing your conclusions, surely not on my suspicions alone?" Until the voices had started up and the fear of the six rulers in the room had become so palpable, Sarah had not truly appreciated the danger that the Deepgrounders posed.

"No, not on your suspicions alone, Morpheus." Jareth said, his expression grave. Sarah looked around the table – Nemesis was staring at Sarah again, in that way that made her want to disappear beneath the table.

"Jareth." Nemesis said, her voice a rich, dark tone, but raspy like the other wraiths, "Why is the mortal here? She's terrified and worried." Just then Jareth looked down at her, and she did her best to smile. Jareth slipped his hand beneath the table and took her hand again.

"Sarah is a courtier of the Goblin Kingdom, and, as many of who have guessed, a recent arrival from the Aboveground. She is here because this concerns her – she has seen signs of the coming of the Deepgrounders."

"What sort of signs?" Geoffry asked, looking at her.

"Nightmares." Sarah said, her voice becoming stronger as she spoke. She watched as Geoffry cringed a little as he stared at her. "Always about the Goblin Kingdom and very vivid."

"What were they about, Sarah?" Morpheus asked, leaning around Jareth to look at her.

"There were six of them. The first three took place in the Labyrinth and were about my friends who I met when I ran the Labyrinth six years ago." She began, and Morpheus nodded for her to continue. "The first ended with me falling off the Labyrinth walls. The second ended when the Forest of the Fierys burst into flames and the third showed the Bog flooding."

"I see. And the other three, Sarah?"

"They all occurred on the same day. The first occurred on my way to your kingdom, Morpheus, while I was riding in the carriage. In the dream the carriage plummeted off a cliff. The second was when I was napping while Jareth was out dealing with the wisher. In that dream I was in the tunnels beneath the Labyrinth when I was attacked by animals. The final dream occurred last night. In the dream, I awoke to find the Goblin City destroyed and Jareth dead on the battlefield, his medallion lying in the mud. I cut myself on the medallion." Morpheus looked taken aback by the tale Sarah had told. She looked around at the frightened faces around her. Even Nemesis looked perturbed by Sarah's tale. She felt her heart racing as the silence in the room became more palpable. Around her, the other rulers were either still staring at her or had cast their gazes down at the table.

* * *

"Jareth," Nemesis said at last, her voice gentler than Jareth generally heard it. "Take care of Lady Sarah. We will neither plan nor discuss whilst you are gone." He looked at Nemesis and then at Sarah, whose gaze was fixed to the tabletop.

"Yes, come Sarah. We will return shortly." He offered his hand and led her out of the throne room and into the entry hall. Her gaze remained on the cobblestones beneath their feet as Jareth lead her back to their chambers. At the door, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the room, setting her down on the edge of the bed and kneeling in front of her.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Sarah. Speak to me."

"I'm scared." She said at last, looking up so he could see the tears in her green eyes.

"I understand, Sarah. We are all frightened of what may come." Jareth whispered, caressing her cheek with his hand and wiping away her tears.

"You have not seen what I have seen, Jareth." Sarah whispered, her voice small.

"I have seen much of what you have seen, Sarah. I have watched you for a long time." When she began to turn away from him, Jareth reached out to pull her gently back, but the moment his hand touched her skin he felt as though something had changed. The world began spinning and Jareth, who was still kneeling on his heels, wavered and closed his eyes. His hand was still closed around Sarah's, but when he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his own chambers. He was standing in the little master bedroom of the house that Sarah had lived in when she was fifteen – holding a baby and threatening to wish it away to the Goblin King. Suddenly, as quickly as lightning striking, the image changed. He was standing in the void of the Escher room, telling himself that he had no power over him. Again, like lightning the image changed and he was lying in bed, asleep with horrific nightmares torturing him. He watched as the scenes in the nightmare changed from the death of Sarah's father to her mother and her step-mother and finally images of Toby dying – over and over again until he woke up screaming. The images changed again and he saw himself in Sacramento alone and afraid as he walked through a shady part of town. He started running as a group of men chased him.

Finally, Jareth realized what was happening and forced his hand to release Sarah's. He blinked a few times and looked up at Sarah, back in his own chambers again. She was looking at him, her eyes wide – fear still palpable in the room.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice stronger.

"Yes, I think I am." He ran his hand through his hair and looked up at her again. In her eyes he could see those images again – he could see her emotion like he never had before. He longed to hold her, but was afraid that the visions would come again so he refrained.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure." He said, his voice still coming through a little strained. "Wait here, I'll return very shortly – I promise you, My Love." He said, rising and leaning down to press his lips to hers. Grateful the visions did not return when he kissed her.

* * *

**Well, I hope that got you guys excited for next week! If you think I'm horrible with my little cliff-hangers now, you'll hate me by the end! Thanks for reading and, as always, I love your reviews!**

**Prongsys's Girl**


	12. Part Three, Chapter Twelve

***A/N* Welcome back, readers! Finally you get the explanation of Jareth's strange vision. Shoutout to: Coralline, dude, GemKat, darkbangle, notwritten, KCDaMofo, and two anonymous reviewers! I always feel special when I get so many reviewers. I love you all! Moving on... Hope you are all having a fantastic 2011 so far! BTW, hope you don't mind the super fluffy ending to this chapter!**

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**Chapter 12**

Once the door closed behind him, Jareth made his way back to the throne room to speak with his brothers. He knew what had happened when he touched Sarah, but what he did not understand was why or how it had occurred. Jareth paused in the doorway to his throne room as the five other rulers looked up at him.

"Geoffry, Morpheus. I'd like to speak with you briefly." He said, realizing he was a bit out of breath from the speed with which he had walked. Out in the entry hall, Jareth's veered down one of the hallways with his brothers in tow.

"What's going on, Jareth?"

"Geoffry, something strange has happened." Jareth replied, stopping and leaning back against the wall of the corridor.

"I can see that." Morpheus replied. "You're as white as a sheet, Jareth."

"I saw Sarah's memories." He ran his hands through his hair – a compulsive habit that he retained from his youth.

"Wait – what happened exactly?" Geoffry said, leaning back against the wall beside Jareth.

"I was… comforting her when she said that I had not seen the things she has seen and began to turn away. I reached out and took her hand to bring her back, but when my hand touched hers everything started spinning and I closed my eyes. When I opened them I saw her memories flashing by me. I know they were memories because some of them concerned the first time she journeyed through the Labyrinth and they were quite accurate – but there were also some I did not know."

"That is strange, Jareth. Most Fae who see the memories of mortals do not need physical contact to see them. From what perspective did you see her memories from?"

"I saw them as though I were looking at the scene through her eyes."

"That is also how I see memories." Geoffry explained, drumming his fingers on the wall. "And you say this has never happened before with any other mortal?"

"No, and I would dare say that I am in physical contact with mortals more often than most immortals."

"I would agree." Morpheus added. "I wonder what makes this circumstance different." Jareth looked down at the floor. He could think of only one thing that made Sarah different and that was his love for her and what had happened the night before.

"I believe I have an idea of what makes Sarah Williams different." Geoffry said, looking away. Jareth always appreciated his brother's discreetness.

"I knew something was different." Morpheus said. Jareth could tell from the expression on his brother's face that he was trying not to smile. "What happened?" Jareth looked pointedly away from his brother and down the hall toward the stained glass window at the end of the corridor. He felt Morpheus's hand on his shoulder. "Jareth?"

"Jareth slept with Sarah last night." Morpheus was silent then, but Jareth could still feel his hand on his shoulder.

"You think, perhaps," Jareth said at last, turning back toward his brothers. "That this fact may contribute to my ability to suddenly see Sarah's memories?"

"I cannot say, Jareth. I would daresay that the situation you are in is vastly…unexplored by those in the Underground…. Especially with the king of a kingdom which does not generally accept displaced mortals."

"I suppose we will simply have to wait and see what else the Underground Magic chooses to do to Sarah and me." Jareth said, standing straight again as Morpheus released his grip on his shoulder.

* * *

Sarah sighed and fell backwards onto the bed. Jareth had been gone for a while now, and she was beginning to worry. She did not know what had happened to him before he had left – all she knew was that for several minutes he had appeared to be completely comatose. His eyes had glazed over and he looked past her – but at what, she did not know. Sarah stared up at the mosaic mirror on the underside of the canopy and listened for the sound of his footsteps in the corridor. He had promised to return.

"Perhaps it was something I did." She whispered, watching her reflection as she tangled her hands in her hair. "But what could I have done wrong?" It was then that Sarah heard the sound of boots coming down the corridor. She drew her hand across her eyes – hiding from her reflection as she heard the door open. She could hear his footsteps as he walked across the obsidian stones and sat down on the bed beside her.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I frightened and worried you. I shouldn't have."

"What happened?" Sarah asked, moving her hand aside so she could look up at him. She could feel the lump in the back of her throat and the tears just behind her eyes.

"I believe that I owe you a rather sizable explanation." Sarah sat up then and looked to Jareth, fixing him with what Marcus had always called her 'piercing gaze'.

"What you must understand, Sarah, is that you and I are exploring a realm of the Underground's magic which has never been explored before. There are so few circumstances when a displaced mortal remains mortal and does not integrate his or herself in with another kingdom. You, however, have chosen this kingdom as your own and I do not think the Underground knows how to handle this."

"So, the Underground doesn't really know what to do with a non-magical being in this world?"

"Essentially, yes, but there is more, Sarah. All beings –even Goblins – have some form of magic in this world, but none as great as a king or queen of the Underground. We are leaders among our people and have greater powers bestowed upon us. I believe that there would be strange side-effects should any being of the Underground delve into a relationship with a mortal in this world. I think, however, that my status is definitely providing for more powerful consequences."

"What are you saying, Jareth?" Her heart racing nearly as quickly as it had been earlier when Jareth had frozen in a comatose state. Her gaze dropped to the bedding. Surely, Jareth would tell her that she was not to be with him anymore, but she knew that there was no where she would rather be than in the Goblin City – with him.

"Sarah, my powers are changing." He said, her name escaping from his lips like a sigh. "Earlier, when you said that I had not seen the things you have seen, I touched your hand and saw your memories as though I were living them."

"Are you sure? What did you see?"

"A lot. I saw you wishing your brother away to me and our encounter in the Escher room six years ago. I also saw your nightmares and the time you were chased in the city." Sarah looked up to see him sigh again as he rested his head in his hands. "Apparently, I did not watch you as well as I thought I did."

"I had to learn these lessons the way I did, Jareth." Sarah said, sliding across the satin bedding and resting her legs in his lap as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "There was no other way – it was how I learned and grew to be the woman that I am. Besides, I do think you were there when things seemed really bad. I know you were. Maybe next time, you will see the times that you and my memory of you saved me." It was then that Jareth lifted his face from his hands and ran his hand across her cheek. This time, he did not freeze or seem disoriented, but instead just leaned over and pressed his lips to hers.

"I do not know what the magic of the Underground may do next, Sarah – I only know that something has been set into motion. It seems that my magic always knows more than I do. So, please, from now on, you must speak to me about things like dreams, strange feelings, and the like. There is much you do not yet understand about this world and its magic. Do you understand?" Sarah nodded a reply and moved to stand as Jareth finished speaking, but he pulled her back into his lap and held her there.

"Know this." He whispered, sending shivers down her spine as he spoke into her ear. "I will always love you. Nothing can change that in this world or any other. I am here as long as you will allow me to be yours."

"Then you will always be mine." Sarah whispered, threading her fingers through his tousled blonde hair as she leaned in to kiss him again and again.

"I am your slave." Jareth whispered, his voice harsh as the kisses grew more passionate.

"Just like you promised."


	13. Part Three, Chapter Thirteen

***A/N* Well, hello to my loyal readers! I wanted to apologize to you all for the decided delay in updating. School is back in session, and I've been extremely busy trying to get my grad school applications in. But, I am updating now, and continuing the story as well. Shoutouts to: Coralline, KCTheMofo, Samantha, notwritten, .cute, and Gemkat5. You guys' reviews make my very happy. **

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**Chapter 13**

As she lay with her head on Jareth's chest, snuggled in the black and silver bedding, Sarah reflected upon the day's events. Little had been decided concerning the Deepground, but Jareth said it was only the beginning. They did not know whether further actions would occur, but for now sentries had been set up at all the junction points between the Underground and the Deepground and the six rulers had formed a magical pact of detection. Jareth had explained that their combined magic would allow any further signs of the Deepgrounders movements to be known instantly to all the rulers. But, as he had explained, there was nothing they could do now but wait for the Deepgrounders' next move.

"Jareth?" Sarah said, looking up to see that he was still awake.

"Yes, Love?"

"You said that we are exploring Underground magic which has never been explored."

"As far as I know, yes. I suppose a situation like this has occurred sometime in the past, however."

"I guess I'm just wondering – if you are the King of Wishes – and you offer wishers their dreams to give up the wished away mortal, what if one of their wishes is…." Sarah said, trailing off, a smile playing on her lips.

"To be with me?"

"Yes."

"My magic, and much of the Underground magic, is heavily banked on illusion. If someone were to accept the dream of being with me, Geoffry would simply give them the memory of that experience. I do like my integrity very much, Sarah." He paused for a moment. "You were the exception."

"Me?"

"Yes, Love. I really would have given you everything I promised you. I wanted you as much as you wanted me – I know you didn't understand that at the time, however."

"I understand it now."

"I know you do." Jareth replied, smiling at her in a way that made her heart skip a beat as he reached for her.

* * *

When Sarah woke the next morning, she found herself alone in Jareth's chambers. She stared up again at the mosaic mirror above her and smiled. It was amazing how she never felt alone in this place. Lying his bed, his scent enveloped her and it were as though he were here with her.

It was then that Sarah noticed something shiny on the bed beside and turned to look at the crystal lying on the pillow. No sooner had she reached out to touch it, however, when the crystal disappeared and was replaced by a small note written in beautiful script. Sarah stared at the note for a moment before she grasped it and held it up to the light to read.

_My Dearest,_

_How I would that I could have been there when you woke. You are so beautiful in the _

_morning. I was called away by a wisher again today, but I shan't be long and I will return to you at the first opportunity that I have. I love you with everything that I am and I cannot wait to see your beautiful face. _

_Yours, Always and Forever, _

_Jareth._

Sarah smiled as she sat up and looked around the room. From the look of the light through the window, it was not long after dawn. The water in the bath was already drawn and Sarah saw a basket of fruit on the floor beside the basin. After taking in her surroundings, Sarah made her way to the basin and slipped into the bath, disappearing into the hot water as she ate the fruit left for her by her handmaiden. She vaguely wondered how the water remained hot all the time as she closed her eyes and began to drift away.

"Sarah." Sarah stirred slightly as she heard her name. "Love, wake up."

"Are you done already?" She whispered, opening her eyes to look up into Jareth's mismatched eyes.

"Not yet. The young woman is running the Labyrinth, nearing the Oubliette now. I came to see you." Sarah smiled up at him as he sat beside her and stole a piece of fruit from the basket beside her.

"How goes it?"

"Good. She's got a fire to her – very much like you did. Would you… like to come with me?"

"Very much. Let me just get dressed." Sarah said, rising and crossing to the wardrobe. As though anticipating her expedition with Jareth today, the wardrobe had selected a leather outfit consisting of a black leather waist cincher and bracers with matching black leather pants, laced red up the sides. Beneath the cincher, Sarah wore a matching red undershirt that tucked into her pants. When she looked up from lacing her pants down her legs, she noticed that Jareth was staring at her.

"You look like…." Jareth paused, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Like what, Jareth?" Sarah pressed, watching him fumble for the words.

"Like a Goblin Queen." He said, snaking his hand around her waist as he conjured a crystal in his palm. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"You will not be visible to the wisher, Sarah, unless I need you for some reason. Is that alright?"

"Of course."

"Then away we go, Love." Jareth said as she watched him spin the crystal. Once again, Sarah was enveloped in the feeling of being pulled into a massive vacuum and she closed her eyes. When she opened them she was standing in a corner of the Oubliette. Jareth kissed her palm before rolling a crystal across the ground which landed at the feet of a girl of about seventeen. She wore dark-wash jeans and a simple pink halter-top, but she was thin and beautiful and looked much like Sarah had at her age. Her hair was straight and dark, tied up into a messy bun and her eyes were a stunning green.

"Well, well, well, Katrina. It would seem that you are in a bit of bind, here."

"You! I don't need your help."

"Oh, you don't? Well, then… perhaps I should just leave you here."

"That's not fair!" Katrina's words hung thick in the air for a few seconds before Jareth began chuckling.

"You're not the first to tell me that, Katrina, but I'm sure you'll find your way out of the oubliette." He said, beginning to turn away from her.

"Wait!" She screamed, casting her eyes toward the ground. Sarah watched as the girl's resolve crumbled.

"Would you choose your dreams over your little sister?" Jareth asked, spinning his hands to produce a crystal. Sarah stared down at the crystal, but as she did, something peculiar happened. Within the crystal, she saw everything that the girl wanted – her fantasies, her dreams and her wishes swam before Sarah's eyes. She saw the girl's love of fantasy – so much like Sarah's when she had been fifteen, but then Sarah saw what made her angry more than anything else – she saw Katrina's fantasies concerning Jareth.

The anger and jealousy that filled Sarah as she watched Jareth approach the girl consumed her until it felt as though something had snapped. The girl's fantasy kept replaying in Sarah's mind as she took a step toward the pair and the girl shrieked in shock and Jareth turned to look in her direction.

"Sarah?" Jareth said, but Sarah paid him no mind. She did not know what was motivating her, but as her anger grew she felt a breeze pick up and blow her hair around her face. She held her hands in front of her and watched as a crystal – similar to Jareth's but filled with a swirling of red and black mist – appeared within her hands. She grasped the crystal in one hand and threw it to the floor, drenching the oubliette with black and red smoke. When the smoke cleared, Sarah saw the chambers she shared with Jareth briefly before darkness overtook her once again.

* * *

Sarah slowly blinked her eyes open and looked up at the canopy. She felt weak, as though she'd run twenty miles and her head was throbbing. She tried to sit up on her hands, but her arms were too weak and she fell backwards into Jareth's arms.

"What happened to me?" She asked, surprised to hear how scratchy her own voice was.

"I don't know, Sarah. I think… the Underground magic has been activated. One moment I was taunting the girl in the oubliette and the next you had revealed yourself and conjured a crystal which transported the both of us back here."

"I – I did this?" Sarah asked, awestruck looking up at Jareth for the first time. It was then that she truly saw the concern and curiosity mar his features. "What?"

"Your eyes." He said, a smile crossing his features. Sarah turned and squinted up at the mirrored canopy, trying to pick out the difference, but it was too far away. She looked at Jareth as he conjured a crystal which turned into a small mirror.

Sarah gasped as she looked into the mirror, although her right eye was still the same shade of green as before, her left eye was now the same deep, dark brown as Jareth's left eye. She stared into the mirror for several moments.

"What does it mean?"

"That you have been chosen, perhaps?" Jareth said, his smile widening.

"As what?"

"A ruler of this kingdom. I believe your magic is saying the same thing."

"My magic?"

"Certainly. Did you think it was me? Now tell me, Sarah, what happened in the oubliette?"

"It began when you conjured the crystal. When I looked into the crystal I saw the girl's dreams and wishes and..." she paused and looked up at Jareth, her eyes cold. "Her fantasies."

"So I take it that irritated you a bit?" Jareth said, still smiling.

"A bit." She replied, scowling. "It felt as though something within me snapped and then the girl saw me and gasped. I don't know what made me do it, but the wind began blowing about me and somehow I simply knew how to conjure the crystal and transport us."

"I believe that verifies it. You have been chosen to see these things and to be a ruler among these people."

"As in…?" Sarah said, a smile beginning to play on her lips as well.

"A Goblin Queen?" Jareth said.

"I think I can live with that." Sarah said, smiling.

"So can I. Definitely."


	14. Part Three, Chapter Fourteen

***A/N* Hey everyone! So, finally, you get to see a little of the fiesty Sarah that we all know and love. I bet you were all starting to get worried. We also get to skip ahead a bit and see a bit more about Sarah's magic and it's implications. Shoutouts to: Coralline (love your epic reviews), reader, Ikuni Hattori (a very enthusiastic review), notwritten, Raiast, and Freahd87. Love to read all of you guys' reviews! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 14**

"I understand your irritation, Love, but I truly do not know of their whereabouts." Jareth said, watching as a leather-clad Sarah spun a crystal across her long, black-tipped fingers. The mist within was gradually changing color from blue to purple to red and back again. In the week since Sarah had discovered her powers, Jareth had learned that the color within her crystals was intimately tied to her emotion. The combination of red, blue and purple was always annoyance. "I really have tried." He said, tossing his own crystal in the air and catching it repeatedly. One thing Jareth had also learned quickly was how important having his own crystal was when faced with an argument against her.

"I suppose you have." She said, looking up at him at last. Jareth let his own crystal dissipate as he saw hers vanish from her hands. His decision had been confirmed about her being chosen as a ruler when her magic had developed more fully – it truly rivaled his own. He looked at her again, a smile playing on his lips as he watched her lounge in a chair in their study – her undershirt unbuttoned just enough to drive him crazy. As much as he had loved her delicate and gentle appearance when she had first arrived, he certainly loved her sultry, Goblin Queen look much better. She was breath-taking like this.

"Tell me again what we have found." Sarah said, sitting up properly.

"Their disappearance several months ago was not well-noted, unfortunately, because we knew they were traveling in the Underground. I believe they were accosted at about the time you stopped hearing from them."

"Why would the Deepgrounders kidnap Didymus, Ludo and Hoggle?" Sarah asked.

"Because they are Deepgrounders, Sarah. The three of them were Deepgrounders whose families surrendered during the last war and begged not to be returned to the Deepground. They were among the best of their kind, but they are not magical beings – only creatures who the Labyrinth liked very much. They and the Fierys live in the Labyrinth because the Goblins do not always treat them kindly because of their heritage." Sarah looked pensive for a moment.

"So, perhaps the Deepgrounders are trying to gather intel about the Underground through my friends." She said simply, sitting back and summoning another crystal, which filled with dark blue mist. If she was perturbed or surprised, Jareth mused, she hid it well. Jareth and Sarah had sat in silence for several moments before Jareth felt it – a stirring in his consciousness very like that he experienced when he was being called by a wisher. He looked at Sarah, but she was still calmly twirling the crystal in her hands.

"Sarah, do you feel that?" Jareth watched as she looked up and shook her head. He immediately stood and held out his hand to her. "This isn't a wisher. It's a alarm – the sentries!" He said, taking her hand and pulling her to him as he spun the crystal she handed to him and they disappeared.

* * *

When Sarah opened her eyes, she and Jareth were standing in the forests at the edge of the Labyrinth. Around her, the five other rulers had materialized as well. They were looking at her a bit peculiarly, but Sarah paid them no mind. Now that she was close, she too could feel the energy emulating from this place due to the spell the other rulers had placed upon it.

Jareth pulled her by the hand and the seven of them knelt in the bushes near a small circle of stones. Sarah watched as two figures materialized in the center. They were dark figures, both covered in rich, dark brown fur and holding small torches. Just as had been planned, Sarah watched as Jareth held up his crystal in his hand and conjured her own, which was filled with a dark black mist. Together, they threw the crystals forward toward the stone circle and Jareth's exploded in a flash of light as Sarah's enveloped the two figures in black smoke as thick as soot. It was then that the others rushed forward. Nemesis restrained the flailing Deepgrounders while the others sealed the entrance to the Deepground as best they could. It was Sarah who conjured a red and black filled crystal and hurled it at the restrained Deepgrounders, sending them to the Goblin Castle Dungeons, and leaving the other rulers , except Morpheus, dumbstruck.

"You're magic is developing nicely, Sarah." He said, approaching her and kissing the back of her hand.

"Thank you, Morpheus."

"Your powers still mimic Jareth's?"

"Very much. Subtle differences only." Jareth took Sarah's hand as she walked beside Morpheus.

"Any signs of her taking on a Loki form like yours, Brother?"

"None yet." Jareth replied. "But I think she will. We actually have a pool going as to what her Loki form will be. I believe her form will be a Robin, as her most suppressed trait is her undying hope and ability to bring happiness to the lives of others."

"I believe my form will be the Blue Jay." Sarah said, smiling.

"There are also bets of the Magpie and the Dove. Care to join in the betting?" Jareth asked, as he held open a path through the Labyrinth as the seven rulers made their way toward the castle.

"Owl." Morpheus said, moving ahead of Jareth and Sarah to hold open the castle doors. Sarah didn't see it that trait within herself, but she saw Jareth's smile. Inside the castle, the seven rulers sat down around the same round table as they had a week before.

"Who guards the prisoners at your castle, Jareth?" Ondine asked, rounding on him before they could fully take their seats.

"My wraiths." Nemesis replied, eyeing Ondine coldly.

"Enough with the petty squabbling." Jareth said, causing Nemesis and Ondine to look up at him. Sarah leaned forward and looked around at the rulers.

"Do you think they are scouts?" She asked, looking to Coeus.

"Yes, that would be my guess, Lady Sarah."

"Have there been any more signs?" Geoffry asked, looking from Jareth to her.

"I haven't experienced any, but my mortality is slipping away too quickly."

"That it is." Jareth said, reaching out and taking her hand beneath the table as Sarah looked up at Nemesis – this time without flinching at her cold stare. "We do have a displaced young child with us still, however."

"Her nursemaids tell us that she wakes up screaming every night – several times a night as of late." Sarah said, drumming her fingers on the table.

"And what of Sarah's new powers?" Ondine asked, looking pointedly from Sarah to Jareth.

"What of them? The Underground magic is creating a place for her in this world." Jareth said calmly, but Sarah saw him narrowing his eyes at Ondine.

"Are you quite certain of that, Jareth? Her powers are so like yours – what if it a manipulation of by the Deepgrounders?"

"Ondine." Jareth began, as Sarah saw him roll his eyes. Even she could tell that this was just Ondine's way of trying to manipulate the truth from Jareth. "Sarah's powers mirror mine because both I and the Underground Magic have chosen her as a ruler in the Goblin Kingdom. She waits only on the will of the people and the other rulers."

"Jareth? You will take a queen?" Ondine asked, feigning ignorance.

"Stop playing coy, Ondine. We all know that Jareth never really won his freedom from the powers of your realm. Now, we have more important things to do." Sarah snapped, leaning forward toward the Queen of Desire, whose eyes were gleaming mischievously. "Jareth and I will interrogate the prisoners with the help of Nemesis's wraiths, but we will call on any of you should we need your assistance. Is that agreeable?" The other rulers nodded their heads, but Ondine stared on – malice having replaced mischief in her gaze.

"Now, I suppose you all have something else to consider as well. We await your choice of her as a ruler in this world – and I believe it would be advantageous to have this settled and to have a seventh ruler should we need to go to war."

"When will you be interrogating the prisoners?" Coeus asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Tonight. We will give him a bit of a stay with the Wraiths first." Sarah replied, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the table.

"Very well. You will contact us when you know more?"

"Of course." It was as Sarah stood with Jareth to see their guests out that Morpheus approached her.

"Lady Sarah," He said, more formally than usual, "Let it be known that you have the blessing of Dreams and the permission of the Loukai to be a ruler of the Underground. May you be led as surely by intuition as you are by logic." As he spoke the words, he held his hand to her heart. From his extended fingertips, Sarah felt a peculiar sensation – as though warmth were spreading throughout her. When she looked down, she beheld a pendant and chain that appeared to be made of such a fine filigree of metal that they should break if she touched them, but they did not snap when she ran her hands across them. The metal in the pendant formed what appeared to Sarah to be three entwining spirals – it was nearly too delicate to tell. The rest of the rulers left without speaking to Sarah, but she saw Geoffry glance at her, a smile on his face as he left. Jareth turned to her and smiled a little.

"Like being thrown into the lions' den, isn't it?"

"A bit, but I think I did alright."

"That you did, Sarah. Now, are you hungry? We could go dress for dinner."

"Very."

* * *

One thing that Jareth liked very much was that Sarah still dressed for dinner like the delicate goddess she always had. The only difference was that now – on occasion – Jareth was the one tying the back of her dresses. Today, however, Sarah had retired back to her own chambers so that Baria could help her get ready for dinner in peace.

Jareth's mind wandered ceaselessly as he tried to get himself dressed for dinner. The pendant around Sarah's neck was proof beyond all doubt that she truly had been chosen by the Underground as his queen. Ondine seemed unhappy, but that was her way whenever she lost a good thrall to the throws of love. She would come around, just as she had when he was named king of the goblins. Jareth turned and looked into the mirror again – he could only hope to look acceptable beside such a beautiful queen as Sarah.

"A goblin queen." Jareth said aloud, testing the sound of those words. "Queen Sarah." Yes, he definitely liked the sound of that.

With one final glance in the mirror, Jareth turned and left the room. It took him several minutes to cross the myriad of corridors between his chambers and hers, and he was glad that she spent most of her time in his chambers now. For some reason, meeting her for dinner always made Jareth feel as though they were celebrating, even if – like now – there was very little to celebrate.

The Deepground prisoners were still being held in the dungeon, and after dinner he and Sarah would have to go down to interrogate them. He still supposed that they were scouts, but the whole situation made him very uneasy. The last time there had been a Deepground attack, his father had died defending the Goblin Kingdom that his brother-in-law had abandoned. That had also spelled the end of Jareth Sr. He had returned, assuming that he could regain his place of power after having fled the field, but he was wrong.

The Deepground had a pension for attacking the Goblin Kingdom first – its subjects possessed only weak magic and it always seemed like an easy target, but the Deepgrounders did not understand the magic of this world. Jareth knew that the Underground would never choose a Deepgrounder as a ruler and therefore, the Deepgrounders could never possess magic like that of he and the other six rulers.

Jareth paused outside the entrance to Sarah's chambers. He knew that the moment he saw her, he wouldn't want her to change after dinner and go to the dungeons – rather he would want to hold her and make love to her and never let her go. Never the less, Jareth raised his hand and drummed his fingers on the door.

Baria opened the door, but Jareth looked past her toward the beautiful young woman who stood looking out the window toward the Labyrinth. She wore a long, white dress that pooled at her feet. From behind, Jareth could see only that they dress was white – perfectly white but trimmed with gold on the sleeves and neckline and tied with an ornate gold belt. Her hair was straight today and cascaded down her back like silk. Jareth was sure that he could have stood in that place and watched her for the rest of his life.

"Jareth." She said, turning around so he could see her properly.

"You look lovely." Jareth said, offering her his hand as she crossed the room to meet him.

"You don't look too bad yourself."


	15. Part Three, Chapter Fifteen

***A/N* Sorry about the late update! Hope the new chapter keeps you all busy until I can post again! Senior year! So busy! Shoutouts to: Coralline, Ikuni hattori, notwritten, Freahd87, and Helena Alexandra. **

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**Chapter 15**

Sarah tapped her boot heel on the floor as she sat beside Jareth outside the cell. It was a hard transition from the Great Hall to the Dungeons, but Sarah was not afraid of the cold and dark within the dungeons now. Vrees and Hirm stood on either side of the cell, insisting on guarding their king and their friend.

"Tell us what we need to know." Sarah said, clicking her heels again, but the Deepgrounder nearest the door chuckled and leaned against the doors, causing Vrees to jab him through the bars.

"Look," the one in the front said, his voice dissonant and harsh, "The woman speaks."

"Isn't that precious?" The other one responded, taking after his companion's boldness. Sarah glared at him for a few moments, but Jareth touched her hand.

"Women are not afforded the same rights in the Deepground. They are considered…. Lower-class citizens because they do not possess the ability to communicate with the Aboveground."

"I see." Sarah said, leaning forward toward the bars, and gesturing toward the Deepgrounders. "The first thing you need to learn is that things are different here." Sarah said, creating a crystal in her extended hand which immediately filled with thick black smoke. She turned her hand and let if fall from her grasp. The black smoke coated the floor of the cell, and Sarah smiled as the scouts screamed and clutched to the bars as the floor beneath them became molten. "Now," She said, waving her hand and clearing the smoke. "Enough of your games." Once the smoke was gone, the prisoners stood again on solid ground.

"It was an illusion." The first one said, leering at Sarah.

"I suggest you tell us everything." Jareth said, pulling Sarah back toward him. "Or next time, The Goblin Queen's spell may not be an illusion." The scout in front continued glaring, but the one in back still looked visibly shaken.

"What do you want to know?" The rear Deepgrounder asked, his voice meek and shaky.

"Who are you and who sent you?" Jareth asked, standing and leaning against the bars – his voice harsher and darker than she'd heard it before.

"We are scouts sent by King Partochile. He is checking your defenses." He muttered, still shivering in the back of his cell.

"How so?"

"If we did not return, he assumed your defenses were great."

"When does he plan his attack?"

"I do not know."

"You lie." Jareth said, spinning a crystal in his hands as he glared at the creature.

"He tells the truth, Jareth." Sarah said, rising and taking the crystal from his hands. "What of the three Deepgrounders captured from the Underground?" Suddenly, the forward Deepgrounder spoke up.

"Yes, we were told that one would inquire about those turncoats. We were told she would be a human named Sarah."

"Partochile is mistaken. She is human no more." Jareth replied, stepping back and taking Sarah's hand.

"What will you do with us?" The rear scout asked.

"Vress and Hirm will take good care of you." Sarah replied, realizing she would hear nothing from the scouts about her friends. She turned to the stairs as Hirm replied.

"That we will, Queen Sarah."

"King Partochile?" Sarah asked as she and Jareth ascended the stairs, but Jareth shrugged.

"I did not know that they had a new king. King Morhan was the ruler when they attacked during my father's rule. I always assumed they were immortal like the Underground rulers."

"I would have thought so as well." Sarah replied. She remembered when she first learned of the immortal conditions of Underground rulers. They could only die in battle or of a broken heart – but by no other means.

"I'd say there is trouble in the Deepground. Perhaps we will get to the bottom of it yet, Love."

"Let's hope it's before there is an open war."

"I agree. There does seem to be some good news, however." Sarah looked at him questioningly. "They do not yet know of the seventh Underground Ruler."

"One ruler's blessing does not make me a queen, Jareth." Sarah said, taking his hand as they rounded the last corner to find themselves in the entry hall, face to face with Nemesis.

"I take it you just finished interrogating the prisoners." She said simply.

"Yes, Nemesis. The interrogations went well, if only a little productive. What brings you here?"

"With the war approaching, I find myself inclined to offer Sarah my blessing." She said, something like a smile crossing her face. "Lady Sarah," She said, placing an ice-cold hand over Sarah's heart, "You have the blessing of Fear and the permission of the Wraiths to be a ruler in this world. May Fear never corrupt your perception of the Kingdom of Wishes." Sarah watched as another filigree of metal wound around the first. The necklace now looked stronger and Sarah could see the design more clearly – it was indeed, three entwining spirals that made a sort of Celtic design, but Sarah was not familiar with it. Perhaps she would ask Jareth about it later if she remembered.

"Thank you, Nemesis." Jareth said, conjuring a crystal and placing it into her hand.

"Thank you, Jareth." She replied before leaving. Sarah took Jareth's hand again as she traced her own medallion with her fingertips.

"Why give her the crystal?"

"If she should choose to visit our castle, the crystal will allow her to bypass the Labyrinth."

"I thought the rulers could just pass through the Labyrinth."

"No, only a ruler of a kingdom can pass safely through their testing ground without aid." Sarah nodded and then looked down at her medallion again. She supposed that it was sort of like an engagement ring in the Aboveground. Jareth reached and held the pendant, turning it over in his hands.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sarah said, looking up at Jareth.

"It's probably the first time the Goblin Queen's emblem has been seen in a very long time."

"Why are none of the other rulers wed, Jareth?" Sarah watched as Jareth considered the question.

"No reason, exactly. I suppose it is because no matter their love or lust for another being, the Underground has not chosen rulers for them. Although I have heard rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Rumors of an eighth ruler. I believe that Morpheus may soon be asking for the blessing of the rulers to crown his queen."

"He certainly has kept that quiet, hasn't he?"

"Yes, well, never from those that count, Love. I should not be surprised if Geoffry and Ondine did the same. The Underground is spurred towards choice in times like this, and I happen to know that both of them have consorts."

"Ten Underground rulers would be a force to be reckoned with."

"That they would, Sarah."


	16. Part Three, Chapter Sixteen

***A/N* Welcome to my new chapter! A lot happens in this one, so keep up kiddies! Hope you enjoy the new chapter and thanks for all the great reviews! We're celebrating today BTW, got my first graduate school acceptance! Shoutouts to Coralline, Ikuni Hattori, Helena Alexandria, Freahd87, notwritten, and... reader... Anywho! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 16**

Sarah sighed and rested her forehead on the maple desk. She looked beside her toward where Jareth sat at his desk, looking nearly as frustrated as she. She raised her head and looked back down at the civil reports, hoping an answer would appear before them, but there simply did not seem to be one.

"So," Sarah began, looking pointedly at Jareth, "What I want to know is how they are stealing resources from our mines."

"I'm not sure. The Deepgrounders simply don't possess that kind of magic."

"And what percentage of the Goblin Army is unarmed?"

"The guards are fully armed, for the moment, and the official military is half-armed, weapons only, mostly."

"And the civilian army has… pitchforks?"

"Essentially, yes."

"How are the other kingdoms faring?"

"Their mines seem to be intact, the problem seems to be primarily at our mines. That makes me suspect the attack will strike here first."

"That seems foolish. What makes them think that the other kingdoms won't come to our aid?"

"I don't know. I am sure that they remember the last battle. After what my father did, I can't imagine they think we will not have aid."

"Your father?" Sarah asked, leaning forward toward Jareth who suddenly looked rather forlorn.

"I was only a very young child when my father died during the last attack by the Deepgrounders." Sarah sighed, grief and worry settling on her more surely than before. "My uncle, Jareth, fled the field and abandoned the Goblins to die when the Deepgrounders attacked. My father, having a great love for the Goblin Kingdom, used his passage token to travel to the where the battle was taking place, halfway through the destroyed Labyrinth. The Goblins were a hardy group and with my father's help, they drove back the Deepgrounders to the junction point, but as my father flew overhead in his Loki form, an eagle, a final arrow from the a Deepground archer fell him. My mother arrived just in time for him to die in her arms. When my uncle, Jareth, return to the Goblin Castle, the Goblins were waiting for him – they would not follow the leader who had abandoned them and they executed him."

"Where are they getting this kind of power? They can't be stealing that as well, can they?"

"I doubt it. Deepgrounders are ill-equipped to wield magic and I cannot think of any possible way they could be tricking the Underground into giving it to them."

"Well, as far as reason number one, may I point out that humans are extremely ill-equipped to wield magic, but here I am. As for reason number two, I have to agree with you." Sarah said, spinning a crystal in her fingers. Jareth shook his head.

"Humans are better equipped to wield magic than Deepgrounders."

"Are there any other sources of magic in the worlds?"

"The Aboveground." Jareth said, his voice barely a whisper. He looked taken aback himself, as though shocked he'd just realized what was going on. "There are occasional rifts in the magical barrier." Jareth began, and Sarah crossed the study to sit on his desk as he spoke. "The rifts are uncontrolled. A rift was what was behind the witch trials in Salem and the stories of Merlin."

"Maybe the Deepgrounders found a way to bring a human back with them the last time they visited – a human who could manipulate the magic from a rift." Sarah said, letting the crystal dissipate as she stared at Jareth. At least they finally had an idea of what they were up against.

* * *

Late that night, Sarah lay in the bed she shared with Jareth and stared up again at the mirrored mosaic on the underside of the canopy. The candle on the bedside table had burned low since Jareth had fallen asleep, but Sarah hadn't been able to sleep. She had lain there and thought about everything that lay in her future. There was a war on the horizon – one against an enemy that they did not really understand. Sarah was aware, however, that it was an enemy which she understood better than anyone. At the very least, her experience with fantasy in the Aboveground and her dealings with mortals all her life gave her an edge to understanding how the rift-magic wielder might respond.

Sarah turned to gaze at the man beside her. He looked peaceful as he slept, his pale hair falling across his face. The dream she'd had about him still clung to her. She could imagine how an immortal could die from a broken heart – she was sure that she would if something were to happen to Jareth. There were other things in her future though too – some that needed to be worried about and others that were to be anticipated. Sarah thought of the little redhead still in the nursery. She had yet to show any inclination towards a kingdom and Sarah had begun to worry that perhaps she had something to do with it – Jareth had warned that if the child acquiesced to the Goblin Kingdom, she would not find a place in any other kingdom.

Sarah rolled over and rose from her bed and wrapping her robe about herself. It was as if even from here she could hear Faith crying. She pulled the door closed until it quietly latched and crossed through the corridors to the east wing of the castle. Rays of light shone from beneath the door of the nursery and Sarah could hear the sound of the goblins nursemaids cooing to the small child as she cried. Quietly, she pushed the door open.

"Another nightmare?" Sarah asked, crossing to where the child sat on the floor being held by one of the goblin handmaidens.

"Yes, Lady Sarah. Bad one this time."

"I figured. Come here, Faith." Sarah knelt down and the little child stood and ran into Sarah's arms, still weeping. Sarah scooped her up and rocked her in her arms, cooing to her softly while the handmaidens watched. "I know, Sweetheart. It's scary, but it will all be okay." The child's sobbing slowed over time and her breathing became more rhythmic until Sarah was sure that she was asleep – only then, when the sun was just beginning to rise in the east, did Sarah lay Faith back in her crib and make her way silently through the corridors of the castle and back to the bedchambers she shared with Jareth.

* * *

"Where, exactly, have you been, Sarah?" Jareth asked, looking down at Sarah as she stood in the doorway to their chambers. In her eyes he could see something like guilt and that only infuriated him more. He was so angry that he was shaking. He looked away and took a step back, taking a breath. "I woke up and you were gone, Sarah." He said, looking up at her again, but still trembling. "Why are you sneaking around? What's going on?"

"I was – I was – visiting a friend." He could hear the lie in her voice – see the lie in her eyes and he turned away, unable to look at her any longer.

"Go, Sarah." He mumbled, walking back toward the window and looking out on the Labyrinth.

"Jareth?" Her voice sounded small like she was crying, but Jareth didn't care.

"Go, damn it. I said go." He listened as her shaking breaths became sobs. By the time the door latched behind her, Jareth could feel hot tears of betrayal burning a path down his cheeks. Never before had he felt so used.

He should have known. She had used him once before to save her brother, and now she was only using him again – this time for the magic and the immortal form his love offered her. He wondered who it was, the man she was visiting late at night – but then quickly realized that he did not want to know.

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**Hope you all enjoyed! Have a great week! **

**~Prongsy's Girl**


	17. Part Three, Chapter Seventeen

***A/N* So I was suprised by how many people were angry/concerned about the cliff hanger in the last chapter. Hopefully this chapter will clear up some of the confusion. In response to the review asking who in the heck she could be cheating with, I would say that it could be anyone. Jareth is not the only Fae in Sarah's life anymore and she could be having an affair with any Fae in the Underground. I guess I wanted to remind everyone that Jareth and Sarah are not perfect. They both still have their insecurities. Anywho... this chapter should clear up the confusion/anger and hopefully should be a very long chapter and a very fun chapter! Shoutouts to: Freah87, Coralline, Helena Alexandra, notwritten and Ikuni Hattori. Hope I've still got you all rivetted to my little story!**

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**Chapter 17**

Jareth paced back and forth in the throne room of the crystal palace, his boot clicking on the cobblestones beneath his feet. He glanced down at his brother who sat at the throne, drumming his fingers on the armrest in time with Jareth's pacing.

"How could she do this to me, Morpheus?" Jareth looked to his brother, but Morpheus merely shook his head in reply.

"What exactly happened, Jareth?" He sighed and sat down in the chair that Morpheus conjured for him beside the throne.

"When I woke, she was gone. I conjured a crystal and saw her tiptoeing through the dark corridors. When the door to our chambers opened, I confronted her."

"And you're certain that she was with another man? That she was using a passage token to go to him? What did you ask her?"

"I asked her where she was and why she was sneaking around."

"And?"

"She said that she was visiting a friend. A friend! How stupid does she think I am? I was furious! I told her to go."

"You told her to leave?"

"I was trembling I was so mad, Morpheus! I was afraid of what I might say if she stayed in that room. You know what my temper is like."

"I do, Jareth, but what is more important is when are you going to speak with her?

"Speak with her? I don't even think I can look at her."

"You have to give her a chance to explain, Brother."

"Why? What good will it do? She will only lie to me again."

"No, she won't." Morpheus said. Jareth looked up to see him standing and looking down on him where he still sat beside the throne. "And if she does, you will know the truth the moment you touch her skin, won't you?" Jareth cringed at the thought. Since the day that he had first experienced Sarah's memories he had learned to hone the skill – no matter how much she disliked the ability sometimes. He did not like the idea of abusing her trust by searching her memories for the truth, but he did not think he had much of a choice. One of Sarah's developing powers was the ability to distinguish truth from lies and it always made Jareth skeptical of the truth of her statements – her ability to see through lies made her a much more effective liar – he'd seen it himself. He considered his ability to see her memories a force similar to hers – the two of them simply couldn't lie to one another.

"I suppose that is true." Jareth conceded, looking down at the floor like a child that had just been chastised.

"I am glad that you came here though," Morpheus said, taking his seat, "rather than confronting her in your anger. You needed time to sort this out before you did something rash."

"Like what? I'd never hurt her, Morpheus. You know that."

"No, but you might have taken her medallion and given her up forever. Now, go find out the truth before the poor girl dies of a broken heart." He smiled as he finished the thought, but Jareth understood the potential truth behind the statement. He did need to give her a chance. He took the pass token from his brother and spun another crystal in his hands. Morpheus nodded to him once and Jareth looked into the crystal, looking for her. He found her then, lying on the bed in her old chambers and staring at the ceiling, her eyes still swimming with tears. Jareth felt the same tears in his eyes as he squeezed the crystal until it shattered and he disappeared from the throne room in a rush of black glitter.

* * *

"Sarah." He said, crossing to sit beside her on the silver and blue laid bed. She sat up and looked at him then and he could see that her eyes were red from crying.

"Jareth. Please, I'm sorry. I never imagine that you would think that I was with another man!" He could hear the pleading in her voice – see the honesty in her and he reached out and took her hand.

"What happened, Sarah?" He asked, clinging to her hand and the comfort her touch brought him even in times like this.

"I – I have been visiting the child." She whispered. "I know that you warned me against it, but..." Jareth looked at her, his eyes narrowed. He wanted to believe her, but he was afraid. Why had she lied to him before?

"Give me your hands, Sarah." He closed his eyes as he reached out and took her other hand. Before, it had felt like the world was spinning when he saw her thoughts, but now he had grown accustomed to it.

In his mind he watched the events of Sarah's life pass before him in tandem with her thoughts. He saw them dancing in the crystal dream together as he sang to her. The images continued to flash before him like lightning as he saw the day he kissed her in the study and the night they first made love and every time since. Finally, the dream flashed to the previous night when Sarah had held the crying child in her arms until dawn and then returned to find him awake in their chambers. At last, he released her hands and looked down at her, regret and tears stinging in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sarah."

"No, I am. I shouldn't have tried to lie to you." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Why did you try to lie to me, Love?"

"Because I was afraid that it was my fault that Faith wasn't showing tendencies toward a kingdom yet. I was afraid that I was dooming her to become a Goblin. I go to her so often when she is crying." Her tears began anew and he pulled his Sarah into his arms.

"Oh, Sarah." He said, holding her. "I was like that at first too. I couldn't stand the idea of the children crying and missing their families. I used to go check on them every night."

"I can hear her at night, Jareth." She whispered, her sobs subsiding. Jareth pushed her back a little and looked down at her.

"The nursery is in the east wing of the castle, Sarah."

"I know."

"I don't understand." Jareth said, releasing her and leaning back against one of the bedposts. "Perhaps," he began, "perhaps the Underground magic has something to do with this."

"What do you mean?"

"We will consult with my brothers tomorrow, Sarah. For now, let me make it up to you." Jareth silenced her when she opened her mouth to object. He knew what would make her feel better. "Today, we shall go on a little trip – one that I think you might enjoy."

"Where?"

"The Labyrinth. I know that you haven't really been there since you arrived." Suddenly, Sarah's face broke out into a devious smile, all traces of her tears forgotten. "It's that smile again," Jareth said, returning her smile with one of his own. "You are definitely up to no good."

"I have a better idea, Jareth."

* * *

Sarah sat sideways in the Goblin King's throng, just as Jareth always did, staring into a crystal filled with pink mist. She watched as her quarry stood without the gates to the Labyrinth. He must have been contemplating how to enter, because Sarah had to admit – the Goblin King looked a little baffled. That is – the man who was usually the Goblin King.

"I gave you a little help, Sarah." She heard his voice through the crystal and giggled – making sure that he would hear her teasing laugh through the magic connection. He looked up in the direction of the castle and she saw him sigh audibly. She continued staring into the crystal – enjoying how cute Jareth looked when he was confused and frustrated before finally crossing to the window and releasing a pink-filled crystal. Her gaze returned to the surveillance crystal in her hand as she crossed back to the throne. She was anxious to see what he thought of the other surprises she had in store for him.

* * *

Jareth watched as the pink-filled crystal floated down and twirled around him tauntingly. He knew he'd regret allowing her to play Goblin Queen with him if only it hadn't made her so damn happy. He vaguely wondered if this was really what it was like for wishers who ran the Labyrinth – well, not quite, he supposed – they had a better reason for running the Labyrinth. Jareth watched as the crystal made its way toward seemingly solid wall before showering the stone with glitter. It was then that Jareth began to see the outline of the door.

"Was that always there, Love?"

"Of course, Jareth." He heard Sarah's reply on the wind, as though it were miles away. Then again, Jareth mused, it was miles away. Inside, the Labyrinth looked much as it always had, but he knew that he was in for quite a journey. Sarah had teasingly given him thirteen hours in which to solve her Labyrinth – otherwise there would be consequences – unspecified consequences. Although he knew that the potential consequences were not to be feared, he journeyed mostly for his pride.

Around the first corner, Jareth found the Goblin Queen's first alteration – a dead end on the path that usually lead straight to the castle. He had anticipated changes in the layout of the Labyrinth itself. He was also quite certain that he would not run into his servants – The Liar and the Truth-Teller – as it would seem foolish to ask him the riddle that he, himself, had invented.

Jareth's musing came to an abrupt end when he rounded another corner and came face to face with a fork in the road – each guarded by a Sphinx. Inwardly, Jareth wondered if they were real Sphinxes or illusions – certainly his Sarah would not set a real Sphinx on him.

"What is this?" Jareth asked, his curiosity peaked.

"We are Riddlers, oh mighty Goblin King." The right Sphinx replied.

"But a riddle is not such a difficult thing." The left piped in – rhyming annoyingly with its twin.

"But beware – miss a riddle and you forfeit this path."

"One leads to the castle of Queen Sarah, the other leads to naught but her wrath." Jareth smiled – intrigued by his little Sarah's newest game. She knew how much he loved a game of wit.

"Very well, Riddlers – ask away." The left-most Sphinx stepped forward, licking her lips before speaking.

"_The smallest lark can carry it, _

_But a strong man might not._

_Of what do I speak?"_

Jareth's smile widened as he listened to the first riddle – the Riddler had certainly given him an easy one.

"A tune." He replied, "and I can carry one."

"Of that, Goblin King, I am sure" the first Riddler said, stepping back to her path.

"But let us not detour." The second said, stepping forward and as the first bowed slightly.

"_An eye for an eye_

_A tooth for a tooth_

_The debt of blood_

_Must be paid in full._

"_Of what do I speak?"_

"Vengeance." Jareth answered, his confidence growing with each answer.

"Well answered, indeed." She replied, bowing to him in turn

"For one who never let it mislead."

"_A poison of the soul,_

_Passion's cruel counterpart._

_From love she grows_

_Until love lies slain._

_Of what do I speak?"_

"Jealousy." Jareth replied, his heart sinking a little at the reminder as the Sphinx bowed and stepped back, allowing the other to approach him.

"_No man has seen it, _

_But all men know it._

_Lighter than air—_

_Sharper than any sword._

_It comes from nothing,_

_But will fell the strongest armies._

_Of what do I speak?"_

For the first time, one of the Sphinxes riddles gave Jareth pause. What was as lethal as a sword, but could not be seen? Disease? Perhaps – but that would not be something that all men knew. The Sphinx stared at him – as though daring him to be unable to answer. She had taken another step closer to him when the answer struck him.

"Hunger." Jareth said, his smile returning as the Sphinx bowed low to him.

"A wise one is he." The Sphinx replied, moving backward.

"Of that, Dear Sister – we shall see."

"_She wields the broken sword_

_And separates true kings from tyrants.  
Of what do I speak?"_

"Time." Jareth said confidently, but this time the Sphinx did not bow, but rather smiled serenely and shook her head.

"Your answer was rather quick." The other Sphinx said, her smile matching her sister's.

"Now this path you can no longer pick."

"What was the answer?"

"Mercy." They answered in unison as the right-most Sphinx moved to sit beside her sister, leaving the right path clear. Jareth looked down that path – disappointed that he had failed but relieved that he was on the move again – even if he didn't know where this path would take him. Jareth took a few tentative steps down the path before him. He expected to find an oubliette, but nothing happened and Jareth was forced to assume he had landed on the correct path. He chuckled and began to jog as he rounded another corner only to find himself face to face with the Goblin Queen.

She was wearing something like his Goblin Regalia and she looked stunning in black leather. Her black pants were seamless and fit her like a glove. They were tucked into black, knee-high stiletto boots and her biker-style leather jacket clung to her frame. The only thing that broke the canvas of black leather was her medallion, which shone silver on her chest. Jareth was shocked – completely enthralled by her as she looked down on him from where she stood on the rim of a small fountain.

"Ah, Jareth." She said, stepping down and walking around him in a slow circle. "Now, what do you think of my Labyrinth?"

"Goblin Queen." He said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to focus his thoughts. "It's a piece of cake." His smile widened as he watched her suppress a giggle.

"Well, let's see how you deal with this little slice." She said, spinning another pink-filled crystal in her hand before throwing to the ground and enveloping him in pink mist.

_**Sonnet 119**_

_What potions have I drunk of siren tears, _

_Distilled from limbecks foul as hell within,_

_Applying fears to hopes, and hopes to fear, _

_Still losing when I saw myself to win!_

_**What**__**wretched errors hath my heart committed.**_

_Whilst it hath thought itself so blessed never!_

_How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted_

_In the distraction of this madding fever!_

_O benefit of ill, not I find true_

_That better is by evil still made better;_

_And ruined love when it is built anew_

_Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater._

_ So I return rebuked to my content,_

_ And gain by ills thrice more than I spent. _

_

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**So, Lets See if anyone can guess where the riddles come from... I did not make them up (I am horrible at making up riddles) so I will put the "I don't own these" disclaimer in the next chapter... just wanna see if anyone guesses it! Hope I made up for my little cliff-hanger!**


	18. Part Four, Chapter Eighteen

***A/N* So... sorry about the wait. I know... I took way to long to post this update. First, yes, the riddles were from Dragon Age: Origins from the Gauntlet in the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest. No I don't own Dragon Age nor do I make any money from it. I'd like to own a couple of characters from it (namely Alistair, Anders and Zevran), but alas - I don't own them either... I just play with them *wink wink*. **

**So, hopefully this chapter will help make up for the lateness of the post. Our Jareth is still running the Labyrinth. How will this hopeful do against the fearsome Goblin Queen? Read and find out. Shoutouts to All Cats are Grey, violingrl07, MizzFizz, Freahd87, notwritten, samantha, reader123, MyraValhallah, and icyheart666. Thanks for all the positive reviews! Shoutout to all my girls (and guys) who love Dragon Age! I'm engrossing myself in Dragon Age 2 as we speak (hence my newfound love of Anders... he's almost as sexy as Alistair is cute!)**

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**Part Four;**

**Thy Inward Love of Heart**

**Chapter 18**

Sarah stood on the fountain long enough to watch the pink mist fade away as it whisked her lover away to the Forest of the Fierys. She chuckled as she tossed another crystal playfully into the air and allowed it to fall on the ground in front of her. Jareth thought he understood everything about his Labyrinth, but Sarah had a feeling that he was in for a real surprise. The Fierys, as she remembered them, were a force to be reckoned with.

No sooner had Sarah arrived in the throne room, however, when she heard the massive entry doors swing open. A short, rather pudgy goblin entered the throne room and bowed low to Sarah.

"Lady Sarah, King Coeus and King Geoffry are here to see you."

"Very well. See them in." Sarah said, suddenly concerned and wondering if she should call Jareth back from the Labyrinth. No sooner had she conjured the grey-filled crystal that would bring him back to the throne room when the two kings entered and bowed to her.

"Sarah, My Lady." Geoffry said, stepping forward and kissing her hand. "Where is my brother?" He said, looking around the throne room and then at Sarah. Sarah's cheeks reddened as she realized that she was still wearing her Goblin Queen regalia.

"He is actually running my Labyrinth." Sarah said, smiling, but Geoffry starred at her, obviously confused and completely unable to read her memories.

"Excuse me, Lady Sarah, but did you just say Jareth was running your Labyrinth?" Coeus asked, stepping forward to stand beside Geoffry.

"It's just Sarah." She said, turning around and sitting back down on the throne, just as Jareth would. "He's teaching me to manipulate the Labyrinth, and this is an excellent way for him to test my new skills."

"So it would seem." Geoffry replied. "You do seem to be growing into the role quite nicely."

"Thank you." Sarah replied, spinning the grey-filled crystal in her hand.

"Let me call him for you, though." Sarah said, preparing to drop the crystal, but Geoffry held up his hand.

"No need. We're here to see you. We actually ran into each other at the palace doors, we find ourselves inclined to offer you our blessings. May I?" He asked, smiling as he stepped forward. Sarah nodded and Geoffry placed his hand over Sarah's amulet.

"Lady Sarah, you have the blessing of Memory and the permission of the Fae to be a ruler in the Underground. May you allow the truths of the past to guide your decisions in the future." As he concluded his blessing, Sarah watched as another filigree of metal wrapped itself around the pendant that hung about her neck.

"Thank you, Geoffry." She said, looking down at the widened pendant. The three spirals were hauntingly beautiful.

"You shall make quite a sister-in-law, Sarah. Never before have I met someone who was a better match for my brother – no one else could possibly keep up with his banter and his stubbornness." He smiled warmly.

"I'm excited to have such a family, Geoffry." Sarah responded, nodding slightly as Geoffry stepped back.

"Very well, I believe it's my turn now." Coeus said, stepping forward and taking Geoffry's place before Sarah and placing his hand over the pendant as well. "Lady Sarah," he paused as he smiled at her. "I hereby give you the blessing of Knowledge and wish to tell you that you now have the permission of the Centaurs to be a ruler of the Goblin Kingdom. May you, and your king, lead and teach with intelligence, logic and reason." When Coeus removed his hand, Sarah could tell that the pendant was nearing completion though it was not yet solid – she could still see the individual filigrees of metal that comprised it. .

"Oh!" Sarah cried suddenly, spinning a crystal in her hands, "I have to check on Jareth!" She had never meant to leave him in the fiery forest for so long, but the arrival of the other rulers had distracted her.

"Where is he?" Geoffry asked, taking a step closer and trying to look in the crystal. "I can't see into your crystals as I can Jareth's."

"The Fiery Forest – I fear he may not have been prepared for it." Looking into the crystal, Sarah could see him in the forest, streaks of red whirring past an obviously disgruntled Jareth. Clearly, the Fieries had no idea that he was the Goblin King. Sarah mused, however, that even if they did they probably did not care – it was the prerogative of the Fieries to hassle whoever happened upon them, and she had to admit, they were a bit insane. She must have made a face as she gazed into the crystal, because Geoffry suddenly laughed.

"I take it he's not handling his own minions well." He said, chuckling.

"No. I better go rescue him. Will you both excuse me? You are welcome to await Jareth's return – I'm afraid I can't give you new pass tokens."

"I have to take my leave, Sarah." Coeus said, stepping forward and kissing her hand. "Will you and Jareth bring me a new token later?"

"Certainly, Coeus – it would be my pleasure to see the Centaur Kingdom. It is one of those that I have yet to visit."

"Then it will be my pleasure to show you my kingdom. "

"Thank you, Coeus." He nodded to her one last time before excusing himself from the throne room.

"I think I shall wait for Jareth." Geoffry said, smiling. "I seldom see my brother, especially in any state of disrepair. I can only hope he will still be in said state when he arrives at the castle."

"Would you like to accompany me now?" Sarah asked, handing him her crystal.

"Yes, I would like that. Lead the way." Sarah conjured a second crystal and took Geoffry's hand in her free one before dropping her crystal in her usual fashion and vanishing with the Fae king.

* * *

Jareth paused in his running when he saw the walls that surrounded the Fiery forest. Looking around, he could see no outlet, and despite his ability to transport to the top, he had promised Sarah that he would not use his magic. He could still hear the Fieries somewhere behind him, reveling as they searched for him. No sooner had he looked up again, however, when he saw Sarah appear, sitting on the wall in front of him. She was still wearing the same outfit as before, but her black hair was streaked red making her look more fiendish than usual.

"I do believe you did this on purpose, you little Harpy." He said, pushing his feathery blonde hair away from his eyes.

"Now, Brother. What kind of fiancé says such things about his betrothed?" Jareth's gaze snapped to the figure which had appeared beside Sarah on the wall. Geoffry seemed so pleased with himself.

"Don't worry, Geoffry." Sarah said as she smiled down at Jareth in a way that made him squirm uncomfortably. "I can handle Jareth."

"Oh, can you, Lady Sarah?" Geoffry replied, feigning innocence.

"I have my ways."

"I never imagined my brother would be so easily controlled."

"You'll understand someday, Geoffry, when your queen has you utterly under her spell." Jareth said, deciding it would be best to appeal to Sarah to get out of this forest before the Fieries caught up.

"Ah. Such a sweet little king. Shall I let him out?"

"I suppose." Geoffry replied. Sarah spun a pink-filled crystal in her hand and smiled wickedly at Jareth before handing the crystal to Geoffry who immediately disappeared. The wicked smiled faded to a gentler one as she spun another crystal in her hand and dropped it down to the forest floor, appearing within the pink mist that emerged from it.

Jareth watched as she placed one hand on his chest and circled him slowly. He tried to glare at her, but he knew it was coming across as more of a blank stare as he watched his lithe, leather-clad Queen circle him like a hungry feline. She looked devilish and seductive – everything that a Goblin Queen should be.

"Now, my Queen, do you intend to let those madmen catch up to us?"

"I don't know, they're rather lively fellows I think."

"Lively, Sarah?"

"Yes. I rather think so, but what would you have me do, Jareth?"

"Take me home, Goblin Queen." Jareth said, reaching out to run his hand through her red-streaked hair. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut at the contact, her gaze softening into a gentle, compassionate one.

"Then you surrender?"She asked, a ghost of her familiar smirk showing though. Jareth paused, cocking his head slightly as he contemplated the choice. In his mind, he saw all the petty young parents and siblings who had wished children away to him. He had always imagined that they all gave up because they were weak and ill-prepared for the fates thrust upon them. There had been hundreds – maybe even thousands – who had given up. Suddenly, in his moment of weakness as soon-to-be Queen Sarah stared up at him, Jareth understood what it meant to be a runner. For him, it was just a game, but for a runner – one who's journeying for something they love – it's desperate and frightening. He, the Goblin King, wanted to give up halfway through – he could hardly imagine how a fifteen-year old girl would feel running his Labyrinth frightened of not only the obstacles in her path, but the man who is incessantly taunting her.

Sarah had learned an important lesson by running, Jareth knew this from the times he would watch her and Toby, but perhaps that lesson had been too hard earned. Had too many children been lost to the Underground because he was too harsh on the runner responsible for them? And was he the first Goblin King to realize it?

"Sarah?"

"Yes, Jareth? She asked, the mischievous glint returning to her eyes as she conjured a crystal and spun it on her fingertips in a way faintly reminiscent of his crystal juggling.

"I'm going to finish this." He said, he gaze serious and uncompromising. "There are a few more things I need to understand before I'm done with the Labyrinth." From the shift in her expression, Jareth guessed that she understood the game had changed and that whether or not she had anticipated it, she was definitely willing to play along.

"Well then, perhaps we'll just see how you do then, Jareth." She said, masking her look of concern and love with one of cocky indifference as she dropped the crystal to the ground and enveloped them in purplish-gray smoke. Once again, her true emotions betrayed by the color of the mist.


	19. Part Four, Chapter Nineteen

***A/N* Well, I wish I had an excuse for my late update... but I don't really... at least not beyond the usual "school makes me busy" one. Anywho, I apologize wholeheartedly and I hope that I haven't deterred to many of my loyal readers. You can expect the next update within two weeks! Hope the chapter makes up for the delay.**

**~Prongsy's Girl**

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**Chapter 19**

Jareth's last glimpse of Sarah was the image of her licking her lips and chuckling as he disappeared once again. Slowly, but surely, as the smoke cleared, he found himself standing in an area of the Labyrinth he had never seen before. It was dark – darker than Jareth had even seen the tunnels and pathways of the Labyrinth. It unnerved him to find himself in such an unfamiliar place. He took several steps, hoping that some source of light would reveal itself.

"I wish I had some light." No sooner had he whispered the wish under his breath when what looked like a string of Christmas lights appeared to line all the walls of a small, enclosed corridor. The corridor, like the initial parts of the Jareth's Labyrinth, looked unending to the untrained eye, but Jareth was sure that there were turns and twists like any other corridor – the trick was finding them. Several steps down the corridor he experienced something new and unusual. Immediately in front of him, Jareth saw what he could only describe as a curtain of shimmering mist which seems to sparkle and warp with changes in the lighting.

"Ah… my little Sarah, what have we here?" No chuckling reply came, and Jareth shuddered – suddenly aware of the change in the game. It was so quiet in that place that he would have praised the voice of his worst enemy – no matter how loathed and taunting it might be. Jareth stopped in his tracks as the thought hit him and once again he was forced to reconcile his experience with that of the runners of the Labyrinth. He was the worst enemy of any mortal who ran the Labyrinth, but in the times when they were alone in places like the tunnels or the oubliette they would relish even the voice of the Goblin King. The Labyrinth was not always a place of childhood fantasies –even though it sometimes had the capacity to be so. The Labyrinth – to one who knows nothing of its paths and dangers and triumphs – was a very frightening place. Even Jareth, who did not fear the Labyrinth's current creator, stared nervously at the obstacle before him. He had had enough of the trials and tribulations of the Labyrinth and wanted nothing more than to go home – not matter what he had to give up to get there.

The one thing that Jareth would not give up, however, was knowledge. He knew he had to better understand his Labyrinth or he would never become a great King of Wishes. Jareth Sr. had cared little about what it meant to be a good king and from the day that Jareth had taken the throne, he had vowed to be a better man and king than his uncle. The first thing Jareth had done was clean up the castle – from top to bottom until it was a fitting home to a king and respectable centerpiece of a kingdom. Afterwards, he had immediately begun his quest to understand the people that Jareth Sr. had never bothered to attend to – his subjects. While Jareth Sr. had always described the Goblins as a slow-witted, homely, and ill-mannered race, Jareth had found so much more in the people of the Goblin Kingdom. He saw their childlike innocence, love of simplicity, eagerness and unique comeliness – all of this endeared them to him. Today, they held a place in his heart that no other Underground race could possibly fill.

Mortals were the only other race that Jareth had ever felt such a profound love for. He admired their ability to trust and their ambition to change the world around them. He even admired their fragility at times –but more than anything he wanted to understand them better. Through his time with Sarah, he had begun to understand the inhabitants of the Aboveground, but today he was gaining a whole new level of understanding.

Steeling himself, Jareth reached out and pushed his fingers through the misty barrier. From the moment his fingers came in contact with the mist it felt as if he'd immersed them in ice cold water. Gritting his teeth against the cold, he forced his hand through followed by his arm. At this point, Jareth knew he simply had to step through and hope the world beyond was similar to the one he stood in now. Deciding that it was rather like removing a band aid, he closed his eyes and forced himself to leap through the ice cold mist.

Eyes still closed, Jareth fell to his knees as the hypothermic sensation washed over him. He would never breathe properly again – of that he was certain. It felt as though all the breath had been removed from his body as the shock of cold hit his lungs, but slowly he could feel the warmth returning to his body as the light of the evening sun warmed his skin. It was then that Jareth realized he was no longer in the dark, foreboding corridors he had been in moments before. Opening his eyes, Jareth beheld a beautiful garden – planted with a rather strange variety of plants which Jareth had rarely seen placed together. A massive koi-filled pond dominated the garden, and floating atop its sparkling waters were vibrant pink and white lilies, their flowers all in full bloom. All around the pond were selections of morning glories, hyacinths and snap dragons, obscenely bright after the bleak darkness of the corridor. The stranger element of the garden came in the form of the incorporation of so many swamp plants –plants Jareth had seen in the Bog.

Jareth stopped mid-step and looked at his surroundings again. This was no garden –rather it was an exact replica of his Bog of Eternal Stench. It had been cleaned and maintained until it was, without question, the most beautiful part of the Labyrinth that did – or had ever—existed. Jareth began walking down the cobbled path as it would its way between hyacinth bushes and weeping willows, marveling at the beauty of Sarah's creation until a new thought struck him. The birds, which had been chattering away incessantly only moments before had fallen silent the moment he had passed between two weeping willows that stood sentinel-like on either side of the path. He stopped there in a clearing just beyond the willows and looked around. He hardly knew what to expect. Sarah's Labyrinth had lived up to the reputation that Jareth's always had – nothing was ever as it seemed.

As he paused in the clearing just beyond the willow sentries, Jareth watched as what appeared to be a golden cage materialized around him. He did not run or attempt to escape from the cage, but rather he looked around and watched as the cage solidified and six doors appeared around the perimeter. Upon each door, Jareth observed what appeared to be an ornate mirror. Approaching the left-most door, Jareth looked into the glass of the mirror. Reflected back at him was the image of the Bog of Eternal Stench as Jareth had created it and below said image, carved into the gilded frame, was the word "Familiar". Jareth narrowed his eyes at the image, but continued to the next door. The image there showed an image of his chambers within the castle. The writing below it read: "Surrender". The third door held an image of the garden as it continued beyond this clearing and the word "Continue". So far, Jareth was a little mystified by the choices before him and a little unsure of what each choice would cost him and so he moved on to the fourth door. There the image was dark, showing him only darkness. Below it was the word: "Mystery". This door amused him and intrigued him, but he still chose to continue to the fifth door. Here he saw a familiar image: his goblin servant, Gormack looked back at him and below his picture was the word: "Guidance". Finally, Jareth approached the final door where he beheld an image of his beautiful, beloved Sarah. She was clothed in a long, dark dress – delicate, but definitely befitting a Goblin Queen. She smiled at him as though beckoning him closer. Below her devilish picture was the word: "Love".

Now, Jareth understood the name of this game. He understood that each door had its consequences and its rewards, but that did not make the choice any more simple. He wanted to choose the door with the image of his beloved upon it, but he knew that choice would cause only distraction and he had to focus on other choices. Again Jareth was forced to attempt to understand the tyrant that was "forcing" him to run. Door two asked him to surrender – something that he was already against. Door one offered him what appeared to be a simpler path, but Jareth was wary of that path. The third door allowed him to continue the Labyrinth without change and door five offered him what Sarah herself had so craved when she ran the Labyrinth – guidance and companionship. Jareth, however, could not be sure of the goblin's allegiance or of Gormack's knowledge of this new Labyrinth. The one choice that intrigued Jareth the most was the darkened path. In a place where nothing was as it seemed, Jareth found that the path which seemed to be the most frightening called to him the most.

He was also intricately aware that with each passing second he was wasting time. It was a trick designed to slow him down in every way possible and so, despite his apprehension, Jareth reached forward and turned the handle on the door labeled "Mystery".


	20. Part Four, Chapter Twenty

***A/N* **Well, that was an epic break in updating. I'm sorry about everything. I actually got stuck in a super-intense summer course and spent the last 4 months studying all night, moving across the country and starting graduate school. But, I'm back now and living in the third largest city in the world! It's super fun and I'm excited to be continuing my stories finally!

This chapter is kinda short unfortunately, but I'm hoping to make some longer ones soon... just had to get Jareth out the Labyrinth so we could continue the fluffy stuff a little. Also, if it makes up for my absence, i am actually planning 3 more Labyrinth stories in the nearish future. If you have any interest, I am also planning another 2 dragonage (in addition to the one I'm currently publishing) and 1 more glee fic! So, share the love and I hope you enjoy the 20th installment of Between the Stars!

* * *

**Chapter 20**

As Sarah watched Jareth fumble in the darkness beyond the door labeled mystery she was sure of only one thing: only the Goblin King would ever choose the door that would lead him directly to her. Of course, Sarah had to admit that she had hoped he would make that choice – she didn't really want to have to come up with a consequence if he didn't finish the Labyrinth on time and he was running out of time. The clock in the throne room told her that Jareth had just over two hours left to complete the Labyrinth and little did he know that he was steps away from the confrontation area – already within the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Sarah had discovered the tunnels beneath the castle on one of her daytime wanderings. She suspected that they had once been used as catacombs, but now they were simply stone hallways that were used by servants to move quickly to different parts of the castle. Today, however, the torches had been extinguished and the servants locked out so Jareth was free to wander. She'd even altered the paths to twist and turn for a few hundred yards before they emptied him into the confrontation room.

Sarah had wracked her brain for hours trying to think of a confrontation worthy of the Goblin King, and while she was sure that no confrontation was quite clever enough, she had settled upon what awaited him. He was moving much faster than Sarah would have anticipated and finally, she was forced to conjure her crystal and transport herself to the confrontation room.

* * *

The floor was slopping up. Of that, Jareth was quite certain, but that was the only thing he was certain of. Had he not been the Goblin King, he would have been terrified, but Jareth had faith in his Sarah and he knew that he would find daylight again. It was so dark that he clung to the damp, stone walls to find his way through the convoluted tunnels, but the stones beneath his feet were smooth and he never tripped or fell.

He could imagine what this path would be like to one that was unprepared for the surprises of the Labyrinth – he knew that many would surrender here rather than continue through this dark maze, but Jareth did not relent. The path continued to wind upwards and the air had begun to feel fresher – surely, the end was near.

There in front of him he saw the light – so bright that he had to close his eyes. The light was as blinding as the dark and Jareth found himself clutching for the walls of the tunnel only to find that they weren't there.

"Sarah?" He heard her giggle – the sound echoing all around him. "Where am I, Sarah?"

"Is that how you address a queen?"

"Lady Sarah, I tire of this game. You cannot win this game by wearing down my time…"

"You're right, my King." With those words the giggling died and the lights lowered to reveal an elaborate maze of mirrors. They were so numerous that it seemed that every mirror reflected a different image, but most of them showed Sarah. She was lounging in a makeshift throne, her leg slung over the side in a manner that he recognized all too well.

The mirrors formed a labyrinth all their own, and Jareth, trapped in a battle of wills with the soon-to-be Goblin Queen, struggled to find a pattern amongst the illusions. Unlike any mortal running the Labyrinth, Jareth understood that the confrontation – even more than the Labyrinth itself – was not about strength or intelligence. It was a test of will, determination and courage.

Around his ninth or tenth corner, Jareth saw it – what every Labyrinth runner saw if they were diligent. He saw the impossibility of the confrontation – that which makes one realize that they cannot reach their quarry via the puzzle presented. It was the point at which runners triumphed and won their prize or fell and surrendered in the last moment. Sarah had triumphed when she'd leapt from that platform in the Escher confrontation six years ago. For Jareth, this moment came when he found himself at a dead end which enclosed around him, showing him mirrors in all directions that reflected not him – but Sarah. The moment had snuck up on him – like a thief in the night and Jareth paused for a moment before he reached out and pushed down the mirrors like dominoes. Before him they fell, becoming glitter at the point in which they would have shattered and filling the room with opalescence, and then he saw her – no longer the Goblin Queen in her regalia but standing before him wearing a simple ivory, chiffon gown, her curly hair tumbling down and around her face. Once beside her, he wrapped his arms about her, whispering her name. He ran his hands through her hair, pulling her close – it felt as though they hadn't been together in days.

"Thirteen hours can feel like thirteen years when you're scared and alone." Jareth whispered. "I believe I understand you far better now, Love." He said, pulling her down into his embrace.

"I had my fun, but I never want you to leave my side again, Jareth." She whispered in response and Jareth leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.

"Neither do I."

* * *

Sarah was enraptured by Jareth's presence. It was if she hadn't seen him in years and since their reunion she'd rebelled against being torn from his embrace, but both knew that duties awaited him in the throne room and they began making their way from their quarters back to the Goblin seat of power. So enthralled was she in the presence of her king, that Sarah hardly noticed the fair-skinned, blue-haired siren queen awaiting them.

"Ah, Jareth." She said, nudging Sarah aside so she could circle the Goblin King in a predatory way. Sarah tried to keep her temper in control, but found herself spinning a small, red crystal in her fingers. "You were a precocious, young prince who wore his heart on his sleeve and then became the Goblin King because he lost a battle of desire. Tell me, have you learned the difference now?" She saw Jareth gazing coldly down at Ondine.

"I have." Sarah watched the interaction between them as Ondine returned Jareth's cold gaze – seemingly appraising him.

"So, you have." She replied. "Lady Sarah," Sarah stepped forward upon hearing her name and met the queen's gaze. "You may think me cruel, but I am charged with determining if the candidate for Goblin Queen understands the realms that make the Underground, just as all the rulers are. Tell me, know you the difference of lust and love?" Sarah looked at Ondine another moment, the ruler was more serious now than Sarah had ever seen her.

"It was a lesson hard learned, but yes, I do."

"Then, Lady Sarah, I confer upon you the blessing of Desire and the permission of my people, the Sirens, to be a ruler in this land. May you rule from a desire not to achieve power, but to achieve peace." As the final filigree of metal wound its way around the others, Sarah marveled at the light that began to emanate from the medallion. What had once been a ropelike twisting of individual filigrees of gold had now become a solid medallion in the shape of three connected spirals. Sarah saw Ondine smile as she admired the medallion.

"Such a strange emblem – one I have never seen before. Only three more to go, Lady Sarah." She said, holding out her hand to receive a new pass token from the Goblin King. Sarah, however, was staring so intently at the emblem that she hardly noticed the Siren Queen's departure.

"It's beautiful, Jareth." She whispered, twirling the new medallion in her fingers and marveling at the way it reflected the light.

"The Celtic sign of womanhood." Sarah dropped the medallion and it landed in his fingers as he examined it closely. "And Ondine is correct. It is nearly done."

"Who's left?"

"Three more must consent, My Queen. The Goblin People will offer their allegiance. After that, I will ask your hand and you can choose to accept me, if you wish. Then it will be complete."

"If I wish?" Sarah asked, resting her head on his chest as he pulled her close.

"Well, Love, who knows? Maybe you'd rather save an annoying little brother."

"Not this time, Goblin King. You don't get out of this that easily."


	21. Part Four, Chapter TwentyOne

***A/N* **Okay... so you can tell me I suck now as long as you don't tell me that my story sucks... I might not take that too well. Anyway, this chapter is a little slow and expository, but the next chapter will be way sweet and cute and the following chapter will be definitely worth the wait. My New Year's Resolution is to write more and play Dragon Age less, so hopefully you'll be seeing this story progressing a little faster than before. Thanks for your continued readership and I promise to be more prolific in the future!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"Remind me, Jareth, why this process must to be such a… process?" Sarah asked, stepping into her gown. It was a rich burgundy color, embroidered with golden Celtic symbols at the bodice and the hem. It was befitting of a queen, but simple enough to avoid looking too ostentatious, and it played in sharp contrast to the medallion she now wore.

"You wound me, Love. Do you imply that I am not worth such an effort?" Sarah closed her eyes as she felt Jareth's arms about her waist. His hands smoothed down to her hips and she leaned back into his embrace.

"You're worth it." She replied, covering his hands with her own, "I just wish it wasn't such an effort." She could hear his throaty chuckle from behind her and it sent shivers down her spine as she looked up into the mirror to see their reflections side by side. The regal Goblin King and his dark-haired bride looked a royal couple – if only because they looked like two people who should never be separated.

"Suddenly, you don't seem so worried about it."

"You're right." She whispered, allowing herself to be turned so she was facing him.

"I can't believe I got you back." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "Six years – I was sure I'd lost you forever."

"Fate had other plans." Sarah whispered, closing the gap between them to kiss him. He drew her in closer, but Sarah made herself pull away before things got out of hand. "I think we have somewhere to be." She whispered, her hands resting on his chest.

"You're right, Love. The Goblins await your presence." He whispered, but Sarah felt herself drawn, almost hypnotically, back into his kisses. She heard a crystal drop to the floor with a gentle clink and pulled him closer as she felt time shifting – slowing for them.

"Jareth." She heard herself whisper his name as he pulled her back with him, sliding the burgundy-colored velvet from her shoulders.

* * *

"What if they don't want me to be their queen, Jareth?" Sarah asked, straightening her dress for the millionth time as she and Jareth waited in the throne room to receive the Goblin delegates.

"Sarah – "

"Seriously, Jareth. What happens if I get up there and they decide that they don't want me to be their queen? What if I'm not good enough-?" Sarah was silenced by Jareth's finger to her lips.

"Sarah, you're beautiful and powerful and an extremely fair and just woman. You will make a fantastic queen."

"But the Goblins don't know all that."

"No, but they do know that I love you and that their king is happy – and that, Love, will give them pause." She chuckled as he brushed the hair from her face. "They already adore you, Sarah." He whispered, taking his place at the throne as the Goblin delegates began filing into the room. As they took their seats, Sarah began to wonder what Jareth's last comment had meant. She had hardly endeared herself to the goblins in her first Labyrinth journey – she'd given more than one of them a concussion in her battle towards the Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

She watched the citizens as they came in, eyeing her warily. Among them, she could see what she supposed were Goblin leaders – goblin men and women dressed in bold colors and carrying short staves that were clearly a mark of their position. Others in the group were clearly servants from the castle – she recognized Baria and Gormack among them and it eased her nerves.

"Many of them are nobles – elected by the citizens to be representatives. Most are of the same line that ordered the execution of Jareth Sr." Sarah's face must have betrayed her shock because Jareth suddenly chucked a little. "Not to imply, Love, that the same should happen to you. The Goblins are a strong-willed people, but they value fairness above all."

"Lady Sarah?" The foremost goblin said, tipping his hat to acknowledge her nobility and status as a courtier.

"This is Lord Rendlin." Jareth said, introducing the elderly goblin. "He is a leading member of my Chamber of Lords."

"Lord Rendlin. It's a pleasure."

"As to you, Milady. We understand we were summoned her to vote on an important matter of state?

"Yes," Jareth replied, suddenly taking the lead. The goblin servants all knew why they were here, but the nobles, it seemed, did not. "As some of you are likely already aware – the Underground magic has been activated and the Labyrinth has chosen its Queen." There were a few shocked gasps, but the room remained otherwise silent. "Having received the blessings of the five Underground rulers, Lady Sarah seeks the blessing of the Goblin people to rule beside me." As Jareth finished, the elderly goblin smiled a little.

"Very well, Your Majesty, we shall converse on the topic. Would it be permissible to ask a few questions of you and your would-be bride?"

"Of Course."

"Certainly, you understand our trepidation, considering what your predecessor did to our people." Jareth nodded. "The Fae are not always kind to the Goblins." Sarah was shocked at the demeanor of the elderly goblin. All the goblins she'd met to this point had been endearing and loyal – if not elegant in the slightest, but this man reeked of nobility and class and upbringing. She watched with interest as the elderly goblin turned back and spent a few moments discussing things with his fellows. Before he could return, Sarah summoned chairs for herself, Jareth and Lord Rendlin.

"Lady Sarah, on the topic of Fae, from whence do you hail?" Lord Rendlin asked, seating himself in the chair he was offered.

"I come from the Aboveground, actually."

"Then you are Sarah Williams, the girl who defeated the Labyrinth several months ago?"

"I'm afraid I am." She answered, looking away from the goblin in shame.

"That, Lady, is nothing to be ashamed of. Your actions proved you to be of great knowledge and courage and your devotion to your brother was inspiring. Do not fear for your fate because of the battle you fought – it is a duty of the goblin people as servants of Will. Now, tell us why you wish to be a ruler of the Goblin City." The words stuck in Sarah's throat as she tried to find a way to word her answer.

"Honestly?" She paused again, "It's because I love and have loved your king for six long Aboveground years. More than that, however, it's because I love the goblins that I've met and I want to be a part of the world that I love more than my very life." The elderly goblin smiled again.

"Your Majesty, why have you chosen this lady to be your queen?" Lord Rendlin asked, bowing slightly as he addressed the king.

"I have chose Lady Sarah because I love her and because she is everything that the Goblin people could ask for in a queen. She is just and loyal and fair and, besides that, she makes me happy." Jareth smiled at her, but Sarah still felt uneasy.

"A happy Goblin King is, of course, something we all aspire to." He replied, smiling again. "Your servants tell of your honor and kindness, Lady Sarah, so I fear not on those accounts. And of your mastery of Will, none can argue. You have already passed the most difficult test any could give you. What of your magic, Lady Sarah? Can you demonstrate that the Labyrinth has chosen you?" Sarah twisted her wrist and summoned a crystal filled with grey mist, setting it into the hands of the elderly goblin.

"They spell contains a surveillance charm. If you turn it, it should offer an overhead view of this room." She watched as the goblin did just that and watched for a moment before handing the crystal back to her.

"Very nicely done, Lady Sarah, and certainly a demonstration of the similarities between your magic and that of King Jareth. But, if you will excuse me." He nodded and turned to talk to the other nobles – the room filling with whispers.

"Lady Sarah," the goblin said, stepping forward once again and removing his staff from its resting place. "We find ourselves in a position to affirm you as the Queen of the Goblins. We offer you our allegiance and the allegiance of our people." As he spoke, the other lords and ladies had stepped forward with staves drawn. A chanting began, quietly at first and rising in volume as Sarah witnessed a glowing light from the staves beginning to surround her amulet. It grew increasingly brighter until she was forced to look away, but when she looked at Jareth, his smile was radiant and she couldn't help but return the smile. When the light faded, Lord Rendlin addressed her once more.

"Queen Sarah, receive the blessing of Will and the permission of the Goblin People to be a ruler of this realm. May you have the intuition to see wishes, the wisdom to judge them and the Will to see them through. Never forget the lessons of Will and the blessings of Knowledge, Fear, Dreams, Desire and Memory and you will become a leader worthy of the Goblin People." When Sarah looked down, it was to see that a jewel had appeared in the center of one of the spirals on her pendant.

"Thank you, Lord Rendlin, for your blessings." Sarah said, reaching out to shake the Goblin's shriveled hand.

"Thank you, My Queen, for choosing to lead my people." With that, the goblin lord and his entourage gathered themselves and exited the throne room, leaving Sarah alone, once again, with Jareth. The smile on his face made it appear as though the Goblin King were glowing with excitement as he held her pendant in his long fingers and turned it over, gazing lovingly at the amber-colored stone.

"My Queen." He whispered, brushing her unruly curls back behind her ear. "I can't wait until I can finally call you mine."


	22. Part Four, Chapter TwentyTwo

***A/N* Welcome back to my interpretation of Jim Henson's classic! Finally, the story will begin progressing very soon. I am actually quite proud of the next 2 chapters for the content I've come up with. So, without further ado, I present chapter 22. It's a pretty fluffy chapter to finish up part 4, but things will get shaken up pretty soon! All is not well in paradise. **

**SHOUT OUTS! to my awesome reviewers: Saved4EverandEver, notwritten, Damon Salvator - the mystery man and Coralline! Keep with the reviews! I have this lofty goal of 200 reviews before the final battle... and that it's THAT far away...**

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**Chapter 22**

When Jareth woke, it was to a room still mostly shrouded in darkness. Outside, the sun had just begun to appear over the Labyrinth walls – streaks of sunlight igniting the kingdom in golden light, but behind the dark curtains, within the stone palace, it was still nighttime.

As gently as he could, Jareth slid from the bed and crossed to the window. The Labyrinth – his Labyrinth – greeted him and he watched it for a time, remembering how it had felt the day he'd realized that this kingdom was his – that he was a king. At first, Jareth had thought that he'd been the loser of the contest with Morpheus, but that first morning he'd discovered how wrong he was. He'd learned to see the Goblin Kingdom as gift – it was always meant to be his. The Labyrinth could not have been ruled by one who was the master of his mind. The Goblin Kingdom was exemplified by its flaws – by its wildness.

Sarah was like his Labyrinth. She too, possessed the same wild beauty – apparent from the outside, yes, but the greatest beauty lying within. He turned away from the window to look at his Sarah. She'd kicked off the blankets in her sleep, but the silver bed sheets clung to her slender form – outlining her gentle curves. He could see the progression of her Fae form in the gentle sheen of her skin and the way her eyes appeared smoky – as if rimmed in dark colors. The longer he watched her, the more Jareth yearned to go to her and touch her – to wake her with his kisses. He took a step toward her, but forced himself to turn away, twisting a crystal into his hand and disappearing from their chambers.

* * *

Jareth sat in the ballroom, nervously spinning a small ring in his long fingers. While it was not customary in the Underground to present one's bride with a diamond ring, it was an Aboveground tradition and he hated the idea that Sarah should miss out on any experience from her previous life. Besides, he quite liked the idea of presenting his queen with something that would always remind her of the moment she had chosen to be his.

Though it was admittedly unlike him, Jareth found himself growing increasingly anxious with each passing minute. He spun a crystal in his hand and conjured up an image of her as she lounged in the obsidian-tiled bath. A plate of berries and fruit sat beside her and he watched as she brought a strawberry to her lips, closing her eyes as she took a bite. Jareth drew in a sharp intake of breath as he watched, suppressing the urge to go to her until she opened her eyes and looked directly at him.

"That'll teach you to spy on me, Goblin King." Her voice came to him through the crystal, as ethereal as if it had followed the light that reflected through the room. "Where are you, Love?"

"You'll find me." He whispered to the crystal, strengthening the barrier spell that he had enshrouded himself in as she spun a crystal into her own hand.

"I can't see you."

"I know." He smirked as he let the crystal dissipate. He was sure she'd find him eventually – she would find the note he'd left outside the door and be too intrigued not to follow. He smiled as he thought of the way her face would break into a delighted smile when she found out about the little game he'd made for her – his Sarah loved a puzzle like none other and it was his greatest joy to indulge her.

As he waited, Jareth's thoughts drifted to his mother and how much she would have loved Sarah. He remembered how she'd call him to the throne room and admonish him for his rebellious acts when he was a child – calling him unruly and obstinate before sending him to his room. He was always so ashamed that he'd sulk away, calling forth a crystal to watch her – to make sure she wasn't sad only to find her giggling alone on her throne. As he got older, he found that her amusement and pride became more evident, even when he did things that the other rules seemed aghast over. She would shake her head and call him her rebel prince before asking him to apologize – which he always did. Now, as a grown man and King, he still strove to make her proud – to be the man she'd always wanted him to be. He had no doubt that she would have loved to see him with a woman with not only the same rebel streak as him, but the same fierce loyalty and undying humanity that he'd seen in his mother.

With everything that he was he wished that she could have met Sarah – gotten to know the woman that Jareth had chosen to spend the rest of his long life with. By immortal standards, the Fae Queen had died tragically young – having only lived a couple hundred years before she surrendered her life to her broken heart. Even now, the memory of watching the life slip from her made him ache. In the end, she'd been little more than a ghost of the woman she'd once been, but she'd looked up at her three sons from her sick bed and smiled. She'd told Jareth that she loved him – that she'd never been more proud of him than she was at that moment for no one could possibly be a better king to the goblins. A part of him had felt like he'd failed her – like if he'd been better or more than she would not have left him, but now he understood the kind of love that she'd shared with his father. Now, he suddenly understood how it was possible to die of a broken heart, for surely the pain of the loss of a love as great as his would cause his heart to simply stop beating.

"Jareth…" He was drawn from his memories as he heard Sarah's voice somewhere outside in the entry hall. His last clue had led her there and he remembered his part and summoned forth a crystal, sending it to her as he had when she was in the Labyrinth before he pushed his barrier spell out from himself, engulfing the ballroom in an illusion spell. It took her only a few short moments to find him, pushing the massive stone doors to the ballroom open before stopping just shy of his barrier, her eyes questioning as she encountered the misty blue wall between them. "Jareth?"

"Tell me that you love me, Sarah." He smiled as he watched her gaze search for him through the barrier.

"I love you, Jareth. With all that I am."

"Then cross over and be where I am. Accept my gift." He watched, mesmerized and trembling with nervous energy as she stepped forward, crossing the barrier and entering Jareth's ballroom – entering her own crystal dream from six years before. Just as before, Jareth disappeared into the crowd, holding his goblin mask over his eyes as Sarah tentatively ventured up the stairs – just as she had before. Apparently, she'd decided to play along, unable to hide the smile that played on her lips.

At his cue, Jareth began to sing, his voice echoing through the empty ballroom – betraying the scene as an illusion. Sarah, however, didn't seem to notice as she searched for him, missing him by mere seconds as she turned toward a lower level. Finally, just as before, Jareth stepped out from amongst the crowd and locked his eyes with hers, pulling her into his arms and spinning her to the music as he sang. He heard the point of the song when she'd once turned from him, fleeing to the edges and shattering the dream, but he kept singing and she kept dancing – pulling him closer.

"Sarah." He whispered. The song had ended, but they'd continued to hold one another close – their arms intertwined. "Words cannot express the way I love you – the way I've always loved you. You are everything to me." He reached into the pocket of his jacket, removing the ring he'd been so preoccupied with before and fell to his knee before her, mimicking the gesture he remembered from the Above.

"Say you'll spend forever with me, that you'll love me as long as I live and I'll be yours for as long as you'll have me – I am your slave, Sarah." She smiled then, seemingly remembering his words from so long ago. "Marry me, Sarah Williams. Be my Queen." She knelt before him and he could see the tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Jareth." Her voice was barely a whisper, and Jareth held his breath as he waited for her answer. "I'm already yours – utterly and completely yours. Of course I'll marry you." She broke into tears as she smiled and pulled him into her arms before he slipped the ring onto her trembling finger. He leaned forward, touching his lips to hers and felt it – the magic of the Underground enveloping them. He felt his own magic drawn out of him and mingling the air around them – mixing with the young, misty magic that he recognized as hers before it rushed back into him – newer and stronger and more complete. Despite his curiosity, he pulled her into his arms, holding her for what seemed like an eternity before he opened his eyes to find them in the disillusioned ballroom.

Reaching down, he turned her pendant over in his fingers, admiring the two new stones nestled in the centers of the spirals. The first was a brilliant black diamond, glittering where it caught the light and the second was a deep rich emerald, so opulent that it could not have possibly be worn by any other than a queen.

"I guess the hard part is over, huh?" He watched as she drew her lip in between her teeth and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"That depends on what you consider the hard part to be. Now, there is a royal wedding to plan, Love."

_**Sonnet 46**_

_Mine eye and heart are at mortal war_

_How to divide the conquest of thy sight;_

_Mine eye my hear thy picture's sight would bar;_

_Mine heart mine eye the freedom of that right. _

_My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,_

_A closet never pierced with crystal eyes;_

_But the defendant doth that plea deny,_

_And says in him thy fair appearance lies. _

_To 'cide this title is empanell__è__d_

_A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart,_

_And by their verdict is determin__è__d_

_The clear eye's moiety and the dear heart's part:_

_ As thus – mine eye's due is they outward part, _

_ And my heart's right, __**thy inward love of heart. **_


	23. Part Five, Chapter TwentyThree

***A/N*** So, time for a little plot... I am particularly proud of the miracle of plot development that I had when writing this chapter. I'm totally going all JK Rowling on this story and bringing back some people you never thought you'd see again. **SHOUTOUTS! **notwritten, Danny98, Taiki, and Rocky181**.** I hope you're all enjoying my story (particularly when I update more frequently).

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**Part Five: **

**So Long Lives This, and This Gives Life to Thee.**

**Chapter 23**

Sarah gasped for air as she ran, her labored breathing betraying what was left of her mortality. She could hear Jareth's footfalls close behind her – the pull of the Aboveground magic drawing them both toward the fringes of the Labyrinth. Jareth shouted directions to Sarah, pulling her around corners as he took the lead in the race for the Labyrinth doors. She pushed outward with her magic, straining against the barrier that prevented them from summoning their powers. The magic was strong; she could feel it pressing on her like a great weight.

The source of the Aboveground magic was just ahead and Sarah continued to run toward it, even as her body tired. The barrier had appeared almost instantly, without even the slightest hint of its coming – it had even bypassed the alarm spells surrounding the entrance to the Underground. She could only guess that, like the scouts before, this was another test of their defenses – a way for King Partochile to test the magic of the rift-wielder against that of the Goblin King. Just shy of the Labyrinth exit, very near the doors, Sarah stopped and turned to Jareth, her hand clutching her amulet.

"What's the matter, Sarah?"

"Partochile doesn't know of the things that have happened in the Underground. He doesn't know that Morpheus has given aid to supply the Goblin Army or that the Goblin Kingdom is soon to have a queen."

"He believes that I am the only thing standing between him and conquering our kingdom."

"Exactly. We hold a greater advantage by letting him believe that." Sarah spun the amulet in her fingers a few more times before sliding it out of view beneath her chemise.

"He will flee when I appear, of that I am fairly certain." Jareth whispered.

"I'll be waiting here, by the doors – watching. The rift-wielder will never be able to distinguish my magic from yours so, if you should need me –" Jareth nodded and pulled her into his embrace, holding her there for a few brief moments that, to Sarah, felt like an eternity.

"Be safe, Jareth."

* * *

Jareth turned to the Labyrinth doors and leaned in, his hand resting on the cool metal. He knew that the rift-wielder was just beyond the opening and he whispered the words that would open them – praying that the Underground magic would recognize him without the use of his magic.

To his relief, the doors swung silently open, as though sensing the delicateness of the situation, and the full force of the rift-magic hit Jareth like a tidal wave, drawing him to his knees. The rift-wielder was barely twenty feet away, but had yet to notice him. He drew himself to his feet, fighting against the crushing weight of the spell as he looked upon the rift-wielder for the first time. She was a woman with sweeping brown hair that was whipped into a furry about her as she enveloped herself in a miasma of dark energy. She was tall – nearly as tall as him and her eyes glowed red as though her soul were as dark as her magic. He could see the flow of the magic as it was drawn down from the Aboveground like lava flowing from cracks in the sky. Somehow, however, here in her presence, Jareth felt stronger – as though he were standing in the eye of the storm. He gathered his magic about him and threw a crystal to the ground, igniting the clearing in amber fire that engulfed her dark magic. Jareth opened his mouth to speak, but a piercing scream tore from the sorceress as her ties to the Aboveground magic were severed. She turned on him, like a feral animal and Jareth summoned a second crystal, holding it before him in preparation.

"Hold, Sorceress, or you will find your death here in the Goblin Kingdom." She stopped then, cocking her head like a curious cat.

"Goblin King." She whispered, her voice like velvet as she rose to her full height. Jareth was surprised to find that she possessed a dark, but ethereal, beauty – rather like a fallen angel. "Partochile warned that your magic was to be feared. I do believe that he is afraid of you."

"As well he should be."

"But I am not. I know that you have a weakness." The red was dancing in her eyes still – as though she were forever in possession of that dark rift magic. "Where is the human, Jareth? Where is the lovely girl from the fairy tale? Did you leave her in her world or was that simply a convenient ending to the tale?"

"Ah, so you have read the book, have you? The book about the princess who wishes her baby brother away? What makes you so sure that it is true?"

"Because I knew her, Jareth." The moment his name fell from the sorceress' lips Jareth heard Sarah gasp behind him. "Come out, come out wherever you are, my dear Sarah!" Jareth turned to the doors when he heard Sarah's footsteps behind him. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the sorceress.

"No one believed me when I said that you'd disappeared, Sarah. It was like you'd never even existed, but I remembered you. I called to you and you never came." Jareth continued to look from Sarah to the sorceress. "They thought I was mad and it turns out that if you treat someone like they're insane for long enough; they become insane."

"I – I – Let me explain." Sarah stuttered. She tried to step forward, but Jareth held her back.

"They locked me up, Sarah! I tried to tell them about you – about my best friend – and they told me I was schizophrenic. They declared me unresponsive to treatment and had me institutionalized. You left me behind! You left me there!"

"She didn't have a choice." Jareth said, stepping between Sarah and the sorceress.

"That thought had crossed my mind, you know – that it was your fault instead of hers, but it doesn't matter, see? Because this way I have the opportunity to get my revenge on both of you."

"Please – I –" No sooner had Sarah begun to speak when Jareth felt the sorceress draw from her rift magic reservoir.

"Sarah!" He tried to block her, but the paralyzing spell hit her and she was frozen in place. Inwardly, Jareth knew that she could have resisted the spell, but some combination of shock and sorrow seemed to be restraining her.

"No! You will let me finish, because the end is the best part! It's the part where I found the power to break free from that prison! To free my mind from those drugs they used on me! You see, Sarah, I started hearing voices. At first, I thought I was insane, but the voices made a lot of sense. They taught me to control my magic – to cross between worlds. And cross I did, but not before I destroyed that facility and everyone within it. There are people who still need to pay, of course. People who didn't believe me – people like your family." Sarah's anger must have spiked then because Jareth felt her magic surge forward, breaking through the barrier that held her.

"How dare you?" Sarah's screech filled the air like a siren, but the sorceress merely sighed.

"I should have placed a barrier on both of you. I knew he'd release you eventually. I'm actually surprised it took so long. Perhaps you are weaker than we thought, Goblin King?" She chuckled under her breath. "Perhaps all your evenings with your human consort wear on you. I bet it didn't take Sarah long at all to find her way to your bed. I know her – how she throws herself at men. Just look at Marcus." Sarah seemed to have finally had enough and she summoned a crystal in her hand – its depths filled not with black mist, but something that looked more like ink. For her part, the sorceress seemed surprised – shocked even.

"I've had enough of you, Keelie!"


	24. Part Five, Chapter TwentyFour

***A/N* **I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. I've actually been trying to find a way to make it longer, but I finally gave up and posted this. Another chapter to follow soon.** SHOUT OUTS to: Rocky181, Jacqueline Ramone, notwritten, DawnRain, Suna-Tsuki-Koinu, the human equation, IsaacClarkFangirl23**. Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter 25**

Sarah felt the wind whistling about her as it had that day in the oubliette and she knew she was losing control of her magic – that her anger was taking control. Through her rage she could see Keelie still standing in front of her – her usual high-fashion clothes replaced with an outfit that would have befit a fantasy-movie villain as she brazenly challenged the Goblin King – a man who'd terrified Sarah at the age of fifteen as much as he'd fascinated her.

"You're playing with fire, Keelie." Sarah snarled, spinning the ink-black crystal in her fingers in an effort to calm her rage and regain control over her magic. "You know nothing of this world and nothing of the creature you work for."

"I know enough. Perhaps it is you who does not know who she works with." Keelie seemed to have regained herself, her magic leaping between her fingers like lightning as her eyes began to glow red once again as she turned her gaze to glare at Jareth.

"How dare you!" Sarah could feel the magic slipping from her again – threatening to burst forth. It was so much more powerful now than before her and Jareth's engagement had become official. "Stand with him, Keelie, and you will fall. To protect the kingdom I love, I will not hesitate to strike you down where you stand."

"You were weak, Child." She heard Jareth's voice beside her – his voice as condescending as she'd ever heard it – even when she herself was a runner. "You have proven only that your magic is inferior to that of the king and queen of the Labyrinth, but you will not return to Partochile with your secrets." At his words, Sarah threw her crystal at Keelie – the ink spilling out from it like vines to entangle her, but they found no quarry. Keelie was gone.

"Damn it!" Sarah felt her rage diminishing as she stared at the spot where Keelie had stood. The wind that had been whipping her hair had finally settled and Jareth had stepped toward her.

"She will prove to be an… interesting foe."

"You have no idea, Keelie was always a bit too… passionate for her own good. I just never thought that her passion could become so twisted." Sarah allowed Jareth to take her hand and felt the pull of his crystal magic transporting them back to the castle where she found herself in the study, standing before Jareth's desk.

"How did all this happen?" Sarah sighed, leaning back against Jareth's desk as he stood before her and took her hands in his own.

"The woman you just saw was not really you're best friend, Love. She was little more than a shadow of the girl you knew. I don't know what healers do in your world, but whatever they did to her was not healing. They broke her."

"I just don't understand why she remembered me and how she ended up here."

"I'm not entirely certain of that either, Love. I would daresay that you know more about Aboveground magic-wielders than I do."

"Only what I've read in stories, Jareth. It's hard to separate fact from fiction."

"I don't know. Perhaps it's not as difficult as you believe. You certainly know the rules of magic as they apply to us here. Anything which strays from those foundations is likely fictional." Sarah paused, ticking off the stories and movies that she was fairly certain were fictional. Slowly, she began to see the connections.

"There might be a few themes. I might need to take a while to figure it out though." A few moments of silence passed and Sarah's mind raced with the things that Keelie had said – not only about her having been institutionalized but everything else as well. The memories her presence had dredged up were painful – things Sarah thought she moved long past. "She was there, you know, when I met Marcus." Sarah whispered, her voice coming out weaker than she'd intended. Jareth didn't speak, but took a step closer to her, his hand resting on her waist. "She saw right through him, but I didn't believe her." She felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I used to get so mad at her – yell at her and throw things." She felt the tears falling down her cheeks now, and she wished that Jareth would say something to break through her pain. "She even saw through my attraction to him – she used to tease me that Marcus looked like you. She didn't even know that you were real."

"There is a… resemblance. I must confess." She felt Jareth's gloved hand brush the tears from her cheeks.

"And I did throw myself at him, I suppose."

"I doubt that."

"Just like I threw myself at you. I grew into quite the woman, didn't I?" Suddenly, Sarah found herself backed against the wall and staring up into Jareth's face as he held her chin.

"That's about enough of that, Sarah." He said, his voice full of reproach. "Out of billions of mortals and thousands of immortals I chose you – and I will not have you treat my queen in such a way."

"Jareth –" She tried to speak, but Jareth cut her off with his lips on hers.

"No, Sarah. Petty insults like those are beneath you. Ondine would not have given her blessing unless she saw you as worthy of it, and I would not have asked you to be mine unless I loved you completely." Sarah looked down at her boots, shame overcoming her as Jareth chastised her. He was right, of course, but it had been hard to discount all the things that Keelie had brought up. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips as she looked up at last, leaning into Jareth's embrace.

"Now what?"

"Now, we prepare, Love, for that is what Keelie and Partochile will be doing."

"Of course, Jareth." She whispered, hesitating only a moment before pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss which he returned in kind. "Thank you."

"Anytime, My Love."


	25. Part Five, Chapter TwentyFive

*******A/N* **So, despite my haphazard updating, this story is NOT over yet. You will be seeing the wedding and the battle and I am working on more regular updates. This chapter will be slapping yet another wrench in the works, fortunately a couple of our royal couples problems will be getting solved soon. Also, for a bit of fun, I'll be posting 2 song dedications at the end of each chapter. Sort of like high school prom when you dedicate a song to someone you love... only I love my characters. Hopefully this will help you see where I get my inspiration and may even raise a little awareness for my other stories. I would so shoutouts, but I'm feeling a little lazy... Shout out to the people who reviewed especially the ones who keep me on my toes by reminded me to update.

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**Chapter 25**

Deep within the walls of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, Jareth lay awake, staring at the mosaic ceiling as his reflection danced before him in the flickering of the light of the candle. The candle had burned low and still Jareth could not remedy the situation that had kept him awake for hours upon hours as his beautiful fiancé slumbered beside him.

The question, of course, was how they could possibly hope to defeat not only the king of the Deepground, but a foe unlike any he'd ever faced – a foe who's power was derived from a source that Jareth could hardly understand and who knew far more about him and his world than any Deepgrounder alive. All his life, Jareth had been made very aware of the power that knowledge held to the humans ready to wield it – having been defeated by it many times before.

For now, however, there was only strategy and planning. There were councils among royals and meetings among brothers. Alliances were formed and supplies were shared – races were learning to cooperate – to become brothers-in-arms – just like their kings and queens. The Underground was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

To add to everything, he and Sarah were due to be married in just over twenty-four hours. Like everything else in the Underground, their wedding was governed closely by tradition and ritual and Sarah had quickly becoming overwhelmed by it all. Jareth had helped when he could, but he had been preoccupied with his duties in preparation for the war as he was, at least until tomorrow, the only crowned ruler of the Labyrinth. Today would be no exception. As Sarah and Rinalda spent the day making the final arrangements, Jareth would be engrossed in yet another meeting with the other royals – discussing strategy and plans and trading resources. Amongst it all, the Underground was changing – developing itself in preparation and only a week ago, Morpheus had announced his engagement to Rinalda and asked the blessings of the five kingdoms. That was, of course, another thing that Jareth would have to see to in the next few days. He had been about to give her his blessing the day when it was announced, but she stopped him and asked him to wait until Sarah was crowned Queen – so she could receive both their blessings.

In short, Jareth's life for the last two weeks had been a blur, but for now, in the dark quiet of his obsidian bedchambers, all was quiet and still. Jareth's thoughts stilled as he looked at Sarah. Beneath the dark curtain of her hair, even she was changing. She was becoming Fae and it filled him with an excitement that he'd never felt before. The mere sight of her, like the sound of her voice and the touch of her skin, calmed him and brought him back to earth as he closed his eyes and drifted away.

* * *

Jareth tapped his foot in anticipation as he waited for the other rulers to arrive. They were all staying in the castle for the remainder of the week as they waited for wedding, but, as usual, Jareth had risen with the sun and now waited as the others rose and prepared for the day. There was some sense of foreboding in the air however, and Jareth shivered as he crossed to the window and looked out. The Labyrinth felt weak and frightened and she reminded him constantly by the tingling in his consciousness. The Labyrinth was like a child – in need of constant reassurance and protection no matter how old she was.

"We will protect you." He whispered aloud, speaking to the force of magic within himself. "My uncle may have abandoned you, but I will not." She was still trembling within his mind even as he heard the insistent clicking of boots on the stairs behind him.

"Jareth, you look troubled." Jareth didn't bother to turn, his gaze simply remaining on the sandstone walls outside his window as he heard his brother Geoffry's voice.

"The Labyrinth is frightened."

"I don't blame her. She was nearly destroyed the last time the Deepgrounders attacked. Her last king abandoned her and left her to die."

"Yes, but I hope that I have proven myself to be a better man than Uncle Jareth was. I suppose…." Jareth trailed off, wondering if he truly was a better man. Sarah had called him cruel once, and he'd admitted it to her. It was amazing how easily he measured himself by her words and actions. "I believe that there is a difference between cruel and heartless Jareth. Your kingdom requires much of you – and part of that is requiring you to be cold and calculating, but you have never been a heartless man. The real you always spills through in your actions and words – I believe that is why Sarah always longed to return to you."

"Well, Sarah was different."

"Different, perhaps, but you were no less cruel to her than the others. You are not our uncle, Jareth. You are a good man."

"Thank you. Geoffry." Jareth turned at last, only to be bewildered by the sight of a breathtakingly beautiful Fae woman standing in the doorway behind his brother. He cocked his head a little, his eyes imploring, but Geoffry simply smiled in reply. Jareth took a step forward, his hand extended toward her. She looked up at him through dark eyes before taking a step toward him and taking the hand he offered, allowing him to touch his lips to her fingers.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Jareth, Geoffry's brother and ruler of the Goblin Kingdom."

"Jocelyn, Your Majesty." Much like the first time Sarah had met Morpheus, Jocelyn moved to curtsey, but Jareth held up a hand to halt her tribute.

"I don't hold with such nonsense unless you're running my Labyrinth, Jocelyn."

"Jareth is far too practical, Love."

"So, the two of you have a lot in common, then?" Jareth laughed as he eyes met the woman who his brother fondly called 'love'. Certainly, her most striking feature was her flawless Fae beauty – but that was something Jareth had seen many times before – many times on women who were less than beautiful on the inside. "Are you twins?"

"Fraternal triplets, actually. Have you not met Morpheus yet?" Jareth asked, conjuring an additional chair and waving the pair of them to their seats.

"I haven't had the pleasure. He's your other brother?"

"Yes. I think that encounter will be quite a surprise for you. Our brother is a very… unexpected man. A good man, but unexpected." Just then, a sound down the hall announced Coeus's arrival and Jareth rose again to welcome the Centaur king.

"Coeus, my friend, good morning."

"And a good morning to you, Jareth. Who is this?"

"This is Lady Jocelyn, a guest of my brother. I believe she will be joining us for the morning, yes?"

"Just for the morning, Jareth. Then I've promised to introduce her to Lady Sarah."

"Ah. Good luck with that. She has been quite busy I'm afraid – a bit of a terror to be around if you're not an experienced wedding planner."

"Congratulations on your wedding, Jareth."

"Thank you, Jocelyn." Jareth said, his eyes skimming over her form again despite his best efforts to avoid it. "It has been a long time coming – even longer for her I'm afraid."

"Yes, Geoffry has told the story."

"Oh, I'm sure his version is quite lovely." The girl looked perplexed so Jareth continued. "Sarah is from the Aboveground, so when she first arrived, Geoffry could still see her memories. I'm sure he has some privileged information about her." His brother seemed about the object, but Ondine entered then, her blue hair shimmering in the dawn light as she stopped in her tracks and looked down at Jocelyn.

"And what is she doing here, Jareth?"

"Why don't you ask Geoffry, Ondine. She is his guest." Jareth heard Geoffry whispering to Jocelyn, probably reassuring her about Ondine, but the Fae girl rose determinedly to her feet and crossed to Ondine, dropping to her knee before the Siren Queen.

"Queen Ondine, Your Majesty." Jareth recognized that as the host he had a responsibility to intervene, but for now he was just as baffled as the rest of the room.

"I was wondering where you'd run off to, Josie. So, it was Anamnesis, eh?" The young woman nodded without rising from her prostrate position on the floor. "You knew I'd find you, Child – that I'd drag you home someday. Did you think that you could hide in the memories and pretend you were one of them?" Jocelyn didn't respond and the rest of the room, including those who had filtered in since the scene began stared awestruck. "You can go home now, Josie. I'll be back there in a few days time." Ondine moved to dismiss the girl and transport her home, but Geoffry suddenly found his voice and rose, pulled Jocelyn back toward himself. Ondine turned her fury around at the Fae king but ceased her actions.

"I don't know what's going on here, but Jocelyn is my subject, Ondine. She swore her fealty to the Fae. She does not take orders from you." The siren laughed a bitter laugh, her voice even more pitched than usual.

"So you kept it from your new king, Josie. How unloyal of you. What are you doing here, anyway?" Ondine seemed to suddenly realize that there was no logical reason for Jocelyn's presence in Jareth's throne room. It was as if Jareth's could see the facts linking up in Ondine's mind as she looked at the way Geoffry was holding Jocelyn close to himself, her face buried in his chest.

"Funny, Ondine, I'm rather certain that very question is to be the first order of business today." Jareth said, finally reining in the situation as it spiraled out of control. "Won't you sit down?" The siren queen made no motion to move even as Geoffry led Jocelyn back to the table. Ondine's rage was palpable as she stared at them – the fury shattering her beautiful features until she looked as unattractive as Jareth knew her to be capable of. "Sit down, Ondine, before things get ugly. You don't want that. I don't want that." Jareth whispered, taking a step closer to stare her down as he felt Morpheus's presence beside him – the two brothers towering over the tiny siren. She rolled her eyes, the fury dissipating only slightly as she reluctantly took her seat. "Now, Geoffry, I think you'd better take the floor." Jareth took his seat in his throne, a silent reminder the Ondine to mind her manners in his castle.

"Thank you, Jareth. Yes, I do have what has suddenly become a rather urgent topic to bring up. In case you have not already surmised as much, The Underground magic has chosen a second ruler for the City of Anamnesis, namely Lady Jocelyn." Daggers shot from Ondine's eyes as she stared down her fellow ruler. "We await the sanction of the lords of Will, Passion, Dreams, Knowledge, and Fear."

"I will not allow it, Geoffry." Geoffry rose then, but before he could speak, the earth trembled beneath them as thunder rumbled above. The Underground was angry – Jareth could feel its anger leaching into the Labyrinth's consciousness and he knew the others could feel it too.

"It seems you may not have a choice in the matter, Ondine. You cannot deny her if she is worthy in the eyes of the Underground and by the virtues of your kingdom.

"But –"

"But what, Ondine? What gives you the right to deny our Mother, the Underground?"

"She's my daughter."

* * *

**Song Dedications of the Week:**_  
_

Anders (from Vengeance and Archdemons): Collide by Skillet (www .youtube. com/watch?v=YTEhSrgTyuU)**  
**

Sarah (from Between the Stars): Thinking of You by Katy Perry (www. youtube. com/watch?v=hnE-h4aPVIg)


	26. Part Five, Chapter TwentySix

**A chapter of a decent length that skips around a bit, but hopefully a good prelude to the wedding chapter... and here you were hoping it might be this one... shoutout to my loyal reviewers: Sarah Rose 29, notwritten, soulwritr16, AnneSilverfire, gabielel, Helena Alexandra, and envygreedgreenthunder. Remember reviews remind me to write faster, so spread the love!**

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**Chapter 26**

In the time it had taken Ondine to say those three words, shouting had become silence and Jareth had gone from looking at Jocelyn, Geoffry and Ondine to staring down at the table where he rolled a crystal pensively across the stone surface. In his mind, Jareth could still feel the fury of the Underground as it radiated through his Labyrinth and he tried to fathom what was happening.

"Ondine, I—" Geoffry tried to speak, but no words would come and Ondine simply hid behind the curtain of her blue hair.

"We didn't know you had a child, Ondine." It was Nemesis who spoke now – drawing everyone's attention to her presence for the first time.

"It was only about twenty years ago when she was born to my consort and I. I hid her presence for fear of judgment by the other rulers – none of you ever had an illegitimate child. I was afraid others would think me a slave to my own domain." Jareth shook his head.

"Ondine, none of us are perfect –"

"Spare me, Jareth. I've heard your speeches before. Jareth lifted his gaze from the tabletop to confront her, but she looked so absolutely broken that he merely stopped and sighed. For her part, Jocelyn looked ashamed and saddened as her mother went to pieces. For the first time in the hundreds of years that Jareth had known her, Ondine was crying – crystal-like tears spilled from her eyes. "I loved your father, Josie. I am not a slave to lust – I loved Charlie more than anything."

"Charlie. I remember that name. He was wished away to me – and chose to remain in your kingdom."

"He never became a siren. He was never given immortality. Even though I loved him and I begged the Sea and the Underground to let me keep him! He died! He grew old and withered and died and I was left alone! So don't talk to me about imperfection. He was perfect. He was mine." Jareth was at a loss for words – nothing seemed sufficient even though he longed to find something – anything to ease her mind.

"If I'd known, Ondine –" Geoffry's words were cut short as Ondine waved him away.

"You didn't know. It's over. It's done." With that, the Siren queen rose to her feet and stormed out. Jareth watched as Jocelyn, seemingly forgetting about everyone else at the table, clamored to her feet with such force that the chair toppled behind her and ran out after her mother.

* * *

"So, My Love, apparently you are now a family therapist." He saw Sarah lean up on one elbow out the corner of his eye. He was lying on his back beneath his black satin sheets, his eyes half-closed as he gazed upward at the mirror mosaic. She reached up and smoothed the frizzes of blonde away from his eyes and he turned to her, running his hand down the length of her body from her neck to her hips as he drew her closer.

"So it would seem." He leaned in and touched his lips to hers as he nudged her back onto her back. "I didn't do a very good job of it though, I'm afraid." He said, pausing above her.

"Could anyone have done anything?"

"I suppose not." Jareth whispered, allowing Sarah to pull him back down toward her lips. Somewhere in the castle, a bell tolled the hour – midnight – and Jareth smiled as he broke the kiss. "Today," he whispered, "is the day that you will become mine."

"So it is." She whispered. A coy smile played on her lips, but as Jareth kissed her again, he saw something there in her eyes that sparkled brighter than any crystal and he drew her into his arms and held her, his hands relearning every part of her ever-changing Fae body. It was the last time he would hold her before she would become a queen and he intended to take advantage of that in every way possible.

"You know, Jareth," He heard Sarah's voice in his ear as his lips made their way down her throat. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony."

"Oh, it is now?" He silenced her with his lips on hers again, but she pushed herself back against the headboard and out of his reach. "Sarah." He knew he was pleading, and when she giggled he sat back to look at her. Her eyes were bright – filled with mirth, but lined in dark Fae markings that made her gentle beauty smolder. The corners of her lips were turned up and he knew that she was enjoying the power she held over the impervious Goblin King. "Are you really leaving?"

"In a little while." She whispered as she leaned forward and back into his arms. "I'm spending the rest of the evening with Rinalda in my old quarters." Jareth gratefully accepted her back into his embrace – picking up where he left off, his lips ghosting over her ivory skin as he held her, not letting go until he was sure that he knew every inch of her Fae form.

* * *

"The things you say, Rinalda!" Sarah squealed as she dropped her face into the pillow on her lap.

"Well, everyone's always wondered, Sarah…."

"What do you mean everyone's always wondered?" Sarah looked up at her maid of honor with a mixture of curiosity and bashfulness. What had Rinalda meant by 'everyone'? Jareth was hundreds of years old and until recently an eligible bachelor – surely there were any number of women in the Underground who could attest to his skills in the bedroom.

"He wasn't a monk before you came along, but he wasn't exactly prolific, Sarah." The bewilderment must have still shown on Sarah's face because Rinalda broke into fits of giggles. "So? Answer the question!"

"I don't know… I mean, I was always bad at describing this sort of thing."

"He wasn't, you know, your first?" Sarah felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Rinalda was, much in accordance with the movie Grease, a 50's square. She'd been wished away in the mid-fifties when she was only 16 years old and though she no longer wore poodle skirts, she had certainly been raised under different ideals.

"Things are a bit different in my time. It's not really unusual for girls become active at a younger age, or even before marriage. When I met him I was a virgin, and I haven't been prolific either, trust me. Intimacy isn't something I take lightly."

"I guess it wasn't all that unusual in my time either – among other social groups. Morpheus was my first though." A smile crept onto Rinalda's face as she thought of her own soon-to-be King and Sarah smiled as she watched her friend's happiness. "It's not uncommon here, either. Fae are so long-lived and passionate, they love easily and they aren't afraid to show it." Sarah smiled, her mind drifting across the castle to Jareth – to her impending wedding and all that entailed. The two sat in amicable silence for a time until Sarah heard Rinalda's voice, this time more timid and unsure.

"What's it like, becoming a Queen?" Sarah smiled as she embraced the pendant that hung at her breast.

"I'm not a queen yet."

"In all but name, Sarah. Do you know that no one has even seen the queen crest of the Goblin Kingdom in millennia? Literally, millennia! I'm going to become a queen and I can barely fathom what that means – what that will feel like."

"It's incredible – terrifying and empowering at the same time. I have so much power at my fingertips that it feels like I can do anything in the whole world – especially now."

"What do you mean, especially now?"

"Well, the engagement happens in four stages. The last is your promise to each other – the culmination of all the hoops and bullshit you go through is accepting each other once and for all. When you do… it's like the Underground takes your magic and his and mixes it together. It's indescribable, Rinalda."

"It sounds like I have a lot to look forward to."

"You can say that again."

* * *

The dawn light broke through the drawn curtains so early that Sarah wasn't sure she'd slept at all. She and Rinalda had sat and talked for hours, sipping Goblin wine and giggling at such a volume that she was sure the entire castle had heard them. They'd talked about the Aboveground and the things they missed. They'd discussed the brothers they adored and the things they were excited for – their plans and their dreams. For a handful of glorious moments it had been as if there was no impending war – it was as if Keelie hadn't become an evil Aboveground witch. For a few fleeting moments, Sarah forgot that she would probably have to kill the woman who'd once been her best friend.

Her head ached slightly from her several gallons of wine she remembered drinking and she rushed to draw the curtains before looking around the room she hadn't slept in for weeks. The bath was filled and steaming and there was a basket of bread and fruit beside it – just like there had always been. In fact, the arrangement was so predictable that if she hadn't met her handmaiden that first day, Sarah would have supposed that the room simply reset itself every morning. Looking back at the bed, she realized that her friend was still sleeping and she smiled. Rinalda lived in the crystal palace, a place, she was certain, never suffered for a lack of daylight.

Sighing, Sarah slipped into the bath. The scent of jasmine enveloped her, soothing her until the headache was all but forgotten. She closed her eyes and lay her head back, slipping beneath the water. Opening her eyes, she gazed around the crystal-clear pool, running her hands across the smooth stone. In the Aboveground, she'd always loved the eerie silence that came with being underwater – the silence that made it feel as though there was nothing in the whole world but the sound of her breathing. When she finally surfaced, Rinalda had woken and was sitting up in the bed, rubbing her forehead.

"I have to admit. Before last night, I'd never actually had Goblin Wine. It certainly is… robust."

"A bit like the creatures that make it, I suppose." Sarah said, finally reaching for the fruit only to discover that she wasn't nearly as hungry as she'd thought. Perhaps it was nerves. "I'm just about done. You can take a bath in a minute. In the meantime," She slid the basket back toward the bed, "have something to eat."

"Did you get enough?" Sarah nodded.

"I got plenty. Too nervous to eat, I'm afraid." With that, Sarah stood and wrapped her robe about herself, settling on the bed.

"You, nervous?" Sarah's gaze turned to her friend as the loukai grabbed a roll from the basket before handing it back to Sarah. "What on earth do you have to be nervous about? You've known Jareth for years and he'd loved you since the day he met you. For heaven's sake, the man has monuments in your honor."

"I know, Rinalda." Sarah sighed, trying to remind herself of those very things.

"Sarah," Rinalda turned toward her. "The point is that if any two people are destined to be together, it's the two of you."

"I know, I really do. It's just – I never could have imagined any of this. I'm twenty-one years old and I never even finished college. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm disappointed with the way my life is going – just surprised, that's all." Sarah dropped her hands into her lap and shook her head, splashing water droplets across the bed. "Listen to me. I don't even know why I'm nervous."

"Well, it might just have something to do with the fact that you're getting married today."

"Oh. Right. Thanks for reminding me." With that, the door swung open and Baria and Tleeka entered, Sarah's dress carried between them. Sarah's heart stopped as she looked at it – the satin fabric cascading toward the ground, rimmed in so much silver embroidery that the dress shimmered in the morning light. In that moment, quite inexplicably, Sarah knew that this was right. She knew that even if she was nervous; even if she was afraid that she was too young or that she hadn't know Jareth for as long or as well as she thought she did – she knew that this was where she was meant to be. This was her destiny. She was meant to be Jareth's queen and to rule the Goblin Kingdom. Suddenly, Sarah wasn't nervous anymore.


	27. Part Five, Chapter Twenty-Seven

***A/N *** Welcome back after my extended vacation in authoring. Now that my life is beginning to get back on track, I'm proud to say that I have a new chapter for you as well as some other good news. I now have a blog ( vigilantelove. tumblr .com) that is devoted to my art as an illustrator and a writer. As such, you can check my blog regularly for artwork and excerpts from not only my upcoming work but also my current work. Just remove the spaces to access the blog.**  
**

As a special apology to the fans of Between the Stars for my inexcusable updating habits lately, I'm also posting a drawing and an excerpt from the final battle within the next week. Please check it out and leave me comments. I really love to hear from all of you and thank you to those who have stuck with me. The best is yet to come and enjoy the wedding chapter of Between the Stars. **Shoutouts to: notwritten, Peygan, Butterflyonthewall, Petitefeeme, Badwolf49, AnneSilverfire, Lilabeth1 and lolgirl for their reviews. **

***A/N2* **I am reposting this chapter to fix a mistake in Geoffry's speech where the fanfiction had cut out a sentence. It is now in it's entirety thanks to Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf for pointing it out.

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**Chapter 27**

The ballroom within the Goblin Castle was aglow with tiny lights. They glistened across the polished surfaces, reflecting off the mirrored walls over and over until the room was bathed in their light. Beneath Sarah's feet, a long black and silver carpet marked her path as she made her way toward the one person who mattered most to her in the entire world. Indeed, from the moment Sarah had stepped foot in that ballroom, all else had seemed horribly inconsequential compared to her king. Jareth wore a modification of his goblin regalia; the stark, high-collared cloak had been replaced by a silver one and he wore the familiar blue streaks in his hair that Sarah remembered from her crystal dream. The black leather and silver stitched garments were like the obsidian and silver of his chambers – they offset his platinum blonde hair and heterochromic eyes until he shone like a beacon before her and she walked down the carpet and past the semi-circle of her guests. Although she could not spare a moment's gaze to behold them, she knew that all around her stood the great leaders of the people – not only the other five rulers but the many great leaders of the Underground – men and women like Lord Rendlin. The room around the semi-circle was filled with courtiers and dignitaries – people who would maintain a perfect decorum until the Goblin wine was served.

So lost in adoration of her King was Sarah that she didn't realized she'd reached the dais until Jareth reached out for her hand and together they turned to face the High Priestess of the Underground. Sarah supposed that the priestess was a Fae, but there was little to mark her as such. Her skin was olive-toned and her long, dark hair was twisted and pinned into an elaborate style that would have looked silly on anyone else in the room. She didn't have the porcelain skin of the Fae nor the dark markings about her eyes. In fact, she was the least ethereal-looking person in the room.

"Jareth. Sarah." She spoke their names as if they were old friends and Sarah could hardly help but return her warm smile. "There is great love between you. Such love has not been known in the Goblin Kingdom in many years." Perhaps she did not look ethereal, but there was definitely something otherworldly about the priestess. "It is not often that I am called upon to crown a ruler." Her gaze moved away from Sarah to rest on Jareth. "I believe that your mother would approve, Jareth. It was her fondest desire to see the Goblin Kingdom brought back to life – such as you have done. But I digress, I am a guardian of this ceremony, not the officiator of it." She held out her hands wide in a gesture to the room. "I believe those assembled are prepared to begin. Are you ready, Jareth?"

"Word cannot describe how ready I am to make this woman mine." The priestess smiled at Jareth before her gaze fell on Sarah once again.

"And you, my dear Sarah, are you prepared?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well, take both hands of your king and we will proceed." Sarah reached across and took Jareth's other hand in her own so that they were facing one another and as she gazed into his eyes, she began to see the light that engulfed them. She could hear the priestess singing softly beside her as the light condensed and became a long, vine-like tendril that wove itself from her shoulder down her arm and back up Jareth's before snaking across his shoulders and down his other to proceed up and join with the other end. Jareth's pendant was glowing so brightly that it blinded her to everything but his face. As all this happened, Sarah realized that she hadn't the faintest idea of what was going to happen next, and moreover, that she didn't care.

"I knew your mother, Jareth. She was brilliant and fair and she loved you and your brothers like no other. She had such great dreams for you: you have become her dream. She died too young and you lost her too soon, but wisdom comes through the kind of pain you have experienced." The ceremony had only just begun and already Sarah felt tears stinging her eyes. "It is a grand day indeed when the old live to see the young become leaders even greater than themselves. It has been a long and difficult road for you both, but you have found wisdom in your trials, strength in your despair and, ultimately, in your loneliness, you found one another. No centaur, not even a king, can give a blessing as great as you deserve. _Sapientiae vobis benediction." _As Coeus finished speaking, Sarah saw the light that bound them together change yellow as his blessing strengthened their bond.

"I never would have imagined that Jareth would be the first to take a Queen. I once called you a fool who wore his heart on his sleeve." Sarah noticed that Ondine's usually cynicism-laced voice had lost its edge. "I now believe that, perhaps, I was wrong. I lost my hold on you the day Sarah Williams returned to this world just as I lost my hold on her. Love is the one thing that none of us here can control, but we can wish it upon you. That is my wish for you_._" As it had with Coeus, the light that bound Sarah to Jareth suddenly changed colors, this time to a translucent mauve. The tears were trickling down Sarah's face now, but she didn't care.

"My brother is a man of many firsts. He and Morpheus and I were the first Fae triplets in known history. He was the first goblin king to understand his people, the first to name goblin courtiers from his kingdom, and now, the first to take a bride. The two of you have created history and changed memories. I know that every memory you create in your long lives will be just as beautiful as those you have already made together. I love you, Jareth, as only a brother can and I know that I will grow to love my new sister as well. To the memories we make." When Geoffry finished, the light transistioned from mauve to emerald green and a smile crossed Jareth's face as she continued to stare up at him, transfixed by his gaze.

"What blessing can the queen of the wraiths offer to such a couple as yourselves? What gift can I possibly bestow on the man whose affinity for kindness, duty, and cruelty, when needs be, is unmatched? And what of the once-mortal who's courage surprised me from the moment I met her? What can I offer to two people so fearless that they fall in love, for nothing holds more peril than the giving of one's heart? I will offer only this: there is no peril when love is pure and there can be no fear when faced with eternity in one another's arms. Be free from my kingdom and love with all you are. To your courage." Sarah would never expected such a candid speech from the stoic and reticent queen of fear; it was beautiful to know that there were still things in this world that surprised her. The light dimmed as it faded to deep purple and silence followed Nemesis' blessing as though the final speaker were having trouble gathering his words.

"My dear brother-" Morpheus' voice was broken with emotion and Sarah could see Jareth's eyes going glassy. "I had never hoped to see you happy and in love after Sarah left all those months ago. There must be a force greater than that which we wield here for such a miracle to have occured. It is a miracle that the dreams of two such amazing people have been brought to life. Sarah, you are the match for my brother; the perfect equal of a man who would have inspired murder in the hearts of so many others. You are the queen the goblin people deserve. And Jareth, you are my best friend and the single most important person in my life. I am a lucky man to have had two such amazing twins and I thank that force that made it so everyday. May all your dreams be brought to life as this one has. I love you both." The color of the lights changed one last time to crystal clear as the sound of Morpheus' voice died.

"It has been said and so it shall be." At the priestess' last words the light faded and Sarah found herself, once again, standing in the center of the circle of her guests. She looked to the priestess, but she smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for, Jareth? Kiss your bride already."

To the outside observer, Jareth and Sarah's first kiss as man and wife might have looked like any other they'd shared, but to Sarah absolutely nothing was the same. Though she could not describe it, she was overwhelmed with how connected she was to Jareth, as though the vine that had bound them together only moments ago was still there. The look on Jareth's face when the kiss ended said it all: he felt it too.

There was but a moment to appreciate their new found bond, however, because applause broke out and, for the first time, Sarah looked around at their guests properly. The other Underground royals were still on bended knee after offering their blessings, but it had not prevented their enthusiastic applause. Beyond those leaders, the Goblin courtiers were organizing themselves and Sarah watched as they stepped forward when the applause trickled off. In turn they each fell to one knee behind the Underground kings and queens, looking up at Sarah with a solemnity that, six years ago, Sarah would not have expected from a goblin.

"For this day forward, I hereby swear my fealty to both King Jareth and Queen Sarah. Their fights shall be my fights, their peace shall be my peace." After Lord Rendlin, each of the dozen remaining courtiers repeated the same oath. It reminded Sarah, once again, of the great diversity she was beginning to expect from the goblin people. While it was true that many of the goblins were childlike and innocent like Baria, a great number of them were also diplomats and thinkers equal to any she might have found Aboveground.

"And to you," Sarah said as they finished, "I swear my honor and loyalty. My will shall rule you as you deserve and my kindness shall guide you to greatness. I swear that my fights shall be worthy of you and that peace shall be as plentiful as I can make it." She glanced at Jareth who was smiling down at her. "To my fellow rulers I swear my allegiance to that oath which has bound us together from time unmemorable; I shall honor that oath just as my king does. Finally, I swear my unending and implicit fealty to our Mother, the Underground. I bind my will to hers and my heart and mind to her service. These things I vow until my dying day." The room filled with light as the sun streamed in though the skylights. Birds sang without the windows and it was as if the Underground were giggling with delight.

"So be it, Sarah, Queen of the Goblins and Mistress of the Labyrinth."


	28. Part Five, Chapter Twenty-Eight

***A/N*** Sorry about the short chapter, I just wanted to end the part of a sweet note and give a little closure for Jareth and Sarah's relationship before we move on to the direly important events of the battle with the Deepground and Sarah's showdown with Keelie. In case you didn't seen in chapter 27, if you want to see art and excerpts from this work and my other peices, please check out my blog at: vigilantelove. tumblr .com just remove the spaces when you paste into the url box. Thanks for reading! **Shoutouts to: Angelic Aramina, katiesTARDIS, ********notwritten, Taria Robotnik, Guest, Trelweny Rosephoenixwolf (thanks for pointing out the delete error), Lylabeth 1, IssacClarkFangirl23, and The Queen of Water.**

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**Chapter 28**

This time, when Jareth woke to find Sarah missing from their chambers, he was not angry. He could feel her presence in within the castle, her love surrounding him though she was not there. After yesterday's events, he knew that nothing would ever be more certain to him than her love.

The first rays of dawn were creeping across the floor as Jareth crossed to the window and looked out at their Labyrinth. No matter how many times he'd seen it and how well he knew it, the sight of his kingdom always took his breath away. The Labyrinth was an enigma; infinitely pliable without ever actually changing at all. It was its own being, really, older than both humans and Fae with the promise to endure long after all known races were mere memories. Indeed, the Labyrinth had never been his, no matter how he had claimed such.

He sighed as he turned away from the window and walked toward the door. It was still slightly ajar from Sarah's efforts to avoid waking him. He didn't know how long she'd been gone, but when he'd woken, he'd felt her absence. He'd known right away where she'd gone. Faith was still in the nursery and plagued by the same nightmares she'd experienced since her arrival. Though he seldom woke to find her gone, he knew that Sarah still heard Faith's cries in the night and went to her.

Before Jareth knew it, he found himself standing in front of the doors to the nursery. This door too was ajar and he could hear Sarah singing softly inside. The cadence of her voice was hypnotizing and he pushed the door open to lean against the doorframe as she sang the child to sleep. It was a haunting melody that twinkled with her soprano voice, but despite its less-than-cheerful theme, it seemed to be doing the trick; Faith was quickly falling asleep in Sarah's arms. It wasn't until she placed the sleeping child back into the crib that she turned toward Jareth.

"Hello, Love." He crossed the distance between them and put his arm around her as he looked down into the crib. "And hello, Faith." The little girl was sleeping peacefully, her long red braids splayed across the crib on either side of her head. She was a remarkable girl who was stuck between worlds at the moment.

"What do you think will become of her?" He felt Sarah's hand in his hair and looked back to her.

"I don't know, Love. I have had a few thoughts on the matter, however." She looked confused, but he smiled at her and pulled her closer as he looked down at Faith again. "It's possible that she's not acclimating to a kingdom for the same reason that you didn't."

"You think she has chosen the Goblin kingdom?"

"Yes, I do." Instead of looking happy, Sarah seemed shocked, perturbed even.

"What does that mean?

"I think we should keep her, Sarah. What do you think?" he heard her draw little gasp as she looked back down at the sleeping child.

"Raise her as our own?"

"Of course. What do you think, Love?

"I think it's the second most wonderful idea you've ever had, Jareth."

"What was the first?" Sarah leaned up and touched her lips to his as he wrapped his arms about her.

"Answering Marcus' summons." Jareth felt himself smiling. On that, they could definitely agree.

_**Sonnet 18**_

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate:_

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, _

_And summer's lease hath all too short a date:_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, _

_And often is his gold complexion dimmed, _

_And every fair from fair sometime declines, _

_By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:_

_But thy eternal summer shall not fade,_

_Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,_

_Nor shall death brag though wander'st in his shade,_

_When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st, _

_ So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,_

_** So Long Lives This, and This Gives Life to Thee.**_


	29. Part Six, Chapter Twenty-Nine

**_A/N: _**_Holy crap, I can't believe it's been a year since I last update this story. I would apologize, but it would just seem empty at this point. I am finishing this story. I have always loved this story, but I admit that, like all of you, I'm excited to move onto my next piece. _

_Shoutouts to all my reviewers! A couple of notes: While I take issue with the way **Kytherea** expresses herself, I did fix the "intents and purposes" I did know that needed to be fixed, and had just forgotten to edit it. To** AtharinatheFae**: thanks for pointing that out, I just got my wires crossed. Faith has red hair. And regarding the (seemingly now infamous)** why did Jareth think she was cheating**: the Jareth portrayed in my story definitely wears his heart on his sleeve a lot of the time and I think he's been burned by love. In the next chapter, Morpheus is that voice of reason that calms Jareth down and reminds him not to get so emotional. I think even in the movie we see evidence that Jareth is passionate to the point of __carelessness sometimes and I wanted to remind my readers of these things._**_  
_**

**Part Six:**

**Thy End is Truth's and Beauty's Doom and Date**

**Chapter 29**

The motley crew that stood before the doors to the castle beyond the Goblin City was a singular group, even within the Underground. Their leader, who was easily the most normal of the four, stood before the door and trembled. He was not good at difficult confrontations or conversations of any kind. It was a distinct personality trait of his and were it not for another party member's suddenly opening the door, he would never have entered the palace. Once inside, he found it marginally easier to make his way toward the west wing where the king's study was located.

As best as he could guess it was nearly midday in the Underground and that was usually the time that the Goblin King would be taking lunch in his study. Fortunately, the leader of the odd group had worked in the castle all his life and he knew it inch by inch. He only hoped that his sudden appearance in his former home would be met with less annoyed indifference than it always had for, in reality, what this group knew would save the Goblin Kingdom and maybe even the entire Underground. He could only hope that the king would listen.

Just outside the study he froze again; his breathing coming in gasps as he tried to raise his hand. True to form, it took another member of the party to move the situation forward by rapping sharply on the door with his small, saber-like cane. The door opened of its own accord and he saw that the room within contained nothing of what he had expected.

The desk immediately opposite the door was vacant and clean as though some servant had actually dared to clean the Goblin King's office. That was not nearly as shocking as the fact that the room was not empty. Seated at a second desk (which had not been there when last he'd seen it), a Fae woman sat with her head bent over a stack of civil books. Her long, dark hair obscured her face, but he could see, all too clearly, the medallion that dangled from her neck. This woman was not the queen of the wraiths or the sirens. Though he'd spent much of his life in the Underground, the symbol that the Fae woman wore was entirely foreign to him.

While the Fae had yet to look up at him, the other inhabitant of the room had. She was a little girl of maybe two or three years old, with long red hair who sat amidst an array of stuffed animals. This, of course, gave him pause. It was shocking enough to find a Goblin Queen in the King's study, but the presence of the little girl made him wonder how long he'd really been gone from the Underground. Had Jareth not only married but had a child as well?

While it seemed to the leader of that motley crew that his contemplation concerning the new additions to the castle had taken many minutes or hours, it was, in fact, only a few seconds after entering the room that his companion began pointing animatedly toward a toy that looked remarkably like him. He was about to speak, but the leader silently shushed him and waited for the Lady (likely Queen) to speak first.

…

"Hoggle?" Sarah leapt to her feet when she saw her friends standing the doorway to the study. They were dirty and thin and wearing ragged clothes, but they were alive and had somehow found their way home to her. For his part, Hoggle looked shocked to see her and she was hardly surprised that he was. Meanwhile, Didymus had leapt from his slightly worse-for-wear steed and prostrated himself at her feet and Ludo lumbered toward her and drew her into a crushing hug.

"Sawah friend!" She buried her face in the monster's crimson fur, wondering, for the millionth time with this was another dream like those she'd had before. It was too incredible to have them back after everything; she had been sure they were dead by now.

"I can't believe you're all here." She said, drawing herself up to her full height and making Hoggle look even shorter in comparison. She'd grown a few more inches since becoming a Fae and stood at about 5'11", only a few inches shorter than Jareth.

"Is that really you, Sarah?" She nodded, but Hoggle continued to look at her with suspicion and confusion, his gaze seemingly fixated on her spiraling medallion. "How'd you get here?"

"I was wished away by someone I once loved," She paused and she noticed the lack of sadness and wistfulness that would have once come with that statement. "but that was a long time ago and much has happened since." Faith had risen to her feet now and was standing beside Sarah, her Ludo doll dangling from her grasp. She held up her arms until Sarah scooped her up and held her at her hip and then pointed at Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus.

"Momma?" Faith still didn't speak much, but she'd taken to calling Sarah "mommy" and that was alright by her.

"These are friends of mine. See? Doesn't he look like your stufty?" Faith looked from her Ludo doll to the real thing and then nodded. Sarah looked back to her friends who were starring at Faith with a curiosity equal to the little girl's. "She was wished away and Jareth and I have adopted her. I suppose I have a lot to explain." With her free hand, Sarah produced a pink-filled crystal and shattered it on the floor. It took only a few moments for Baria to appear in the doorway and bow to Sarah's guests. "Baria, will you take Faith back our quarters where she can nap?"

"You don't want her back at the nursery?"

"No, she'll be fine in my room. She likes it there. Could you also have Gormack bring Jareth to the study and tell the kitchen we have extra guests? I know it's an awful lot…" Sarah paused. "I'll get Jareth, Baria, but could you tell the kitchens for me?" Baria giggled, probably at Sarah's indecisiveness, but gathered up Faith's toys and took the little girl out, leaving Sarah alone with the friends she hadn't seen in more than six years. She was more than a little flustered as she ushered them to seats and watched as Ludo took the place on the floor that Faith had just occupied.

"I'll get Jareth in a few minutes, but are you all alright?" Hoggle was still trembling but Sarah couldn't be sure if that was from his imprisonment, the journey or the fact that she was going to bring Jareth to the study soon.

"We're mostly alright. I think Partochile wanted us alive for somethin'. Can't say what though."

"Probably because he knows I'm here. Life would be easier if he were an idiot, but he's not and Jareth and I are trying to deal with it." She ran her hand across her forehead and pulled her hair up off her neck. "He's a bastard and he's proud of it, but there will be time to talk about the Deepground later. I bet your wondering how I ended up here."

The long, drawn-out version of Sarah's tale took nearly an hour and left all three of her friends nearly dumbfounded. Hoggle continued to stare at her long after she stopped speaking, but Sir Didymus leapt down from his steed and prostrated himself at her feet once again.

"Mighty Queen of the Goblins, I, Sir Didymus, bow to you." Sarah felt herself turning red.

"For Heaven's sake, Didymus, get up." The little dog didn't move.

"But, My Lady, I owe you my fealty."

"It doesn't mean you have to kneel all the time." Didymus finally rose to his feet. "No one kneels to me. I don't really like it." Sarah sighed as she heard her own stomach rumble. "I'd best get Jareth so we can have lunch."

….

"I can't believe you three made it back to the Underground." Jareth said, sipping on his tea as he looked at the three descendants of the Deepground. "I can't imagine the fury that Partochile is in."

"Or Keelie for that matter." He shuddered at the mention of the sorceress that had once been Sarah's dearest friend. The truth was that she frightened Jareth. He knew of Aboveground magic, but he'd never faced it in combat. For that matter, in his long life, Jareth had spent many years in study, disciplining his magic and honing his swordsmanship, but he'd never been in battle. This war with the Deepground would be the first for both him and his bride.

"How did you escape?" He was glad to hear Sarah ask the question. He'd been unwilling himself to force them to relive the experience if they'd already done so.

"Partochile is smarter than most in the Deepground, I s'pose." Hoggle said, his shaking finally beginning to subside. He'd been trembling since the moment Jareth had entered the room. "But he's got a big ego and he don't understand magic. If he'd understood it, he woulda never broken that crystal I had with me when I arrived."

"Your pass token." Jareth remembered giving them the pass token for their return to the Labyrinth. He'd been less than kind to them, but, regardless, he'd wanted them to know that they were more than welcome back in the Goblin Kingdom. In fact, Jareth had been skeptical of how he'd run the Labyrinth without Hoggle's help – though he'd never admit it.

"He threw it on the ground, I guess he thought it'd hurt my feelin's or something. I don't know. It made a big flashbang and everyone froze. It was like time'd froze or something."

"Ludo broke bars." The red monster had spoken up for the first time in Jareth's presence, possible ever.

"Ya, so Ludo broke the bars and we ran for a transport spot. They wasn't far behind us when we came through, but I think they was scared to follow us through."

"I'm not surprised, they're still missing scouts from the last time they braved the transports." Sarah's shifted to lean against him, and Jareth saw Hoggle visibly stiffen. It reminded him of when Sarah was fifteen and Hoggle had a crush on her.

"I'll put the three of you in some guest quarters. The kitchens are at your disposal and I'll have my physician come by to check on the three of you. You can stay here in the castle until you are feeling well enough to return to your places in the Labyrinth." Sarah's hand was resting on his leg and he knew she approved of his generosity. Sarah had brought that out in him for certain.

"I'll visit you all once you've rested some." With that, Gorim and Baria entered the room to lead Sarah's friends out. She rose from her place and embraced them each, handing them pink-filled crystals that would summon her presence before she returned to Jareth, draping herself on his lap. She rested her head on his chest and he buried his face in her hair as he held her. "I didn't think I'd ever see them again."

"I know, Love."

"Maybe this war is turning in our favor already." Jareth sighed: they could only hope so.


	30. Part Six, Chapter Thirty

**A/N: **As promised, another expedious update. I hope to be posting every Friday or Saturday until we're done with Between the Stars. This chapter (fortunately, if your like, or unfortunately if you think moments like this are annoying) is a really character-development heavy chapter. That being said, I REALLY love this chapter. I love the dynamic that I (kinda accidentally) created between Jareth and his brothers. Before I hear about it, I did put some pretty careful consideration into the joke that Sarah makes... and I think it's funny I even asked a couple other people, and they liked it. If you don't, I'm sorry... kinda.

Shoutout to** The Queen of Water **for her review. Also to:** Princess of the Fae, notwritten, InuBaby91, Byoken, VampireMafiaQueen, Soulwritr16, **and** camierose **for their lovely reviews on chapter 28 since I didn't list them all on the last chapter.

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**Chapter 30**

Even after all her time in the Underground, Sarah had yet to see the Fae kingdom. As before, she and Jareth were riding to his brother's kingdom in a small chariot, he leaning languidly against the seat while she leaned back against his chest, her eyes fixated on the view without the windows. She shifted her head to the side, resting it on his shoulder and felt his lips press against her pulse point. The act sent shivers down her spine and she shifted in his arms to face him, resting her palms against his half-covered chest.

"Such a bold, little king."

"How can I resist when there's such a lovely woman in my arms." His lips pressed onto hers, softly, but laced with unspoken desires and promises.

"You say that to all the goblin queens."

"As a matter of fact, I do." He smiled at her before claiming her lips again, less softly and chastely this time, and she felt a soft whimper escape her. His hand still gripped her tightly when he drew back, his voice suddenly husky with desire. "Anamnesis is still quite a journey away, Love."

"And if it wasn't, you'd make sure it was, right?"

"Me? Subvert the laws of nature to get my way? Perish the thought." She shifted her arms, bringing her hands to rest on the cushion on either side of him as she pressed in for another kiss, challenging him to make true on all his promises. A low moan escaped him and she leaned back, shaking her head a little.

"We don't need an audience, Jareth." He shook his head and kissed her again, this time drawing the moan from her.

"Not a concern, Love."

"Subverting the laws of nature again? What am I going to do with you?"She leaned forward again, bent on showing him just what she had in mind.

…

Sarah ran her hand over the stones beside the entrance to the Fae castle, marveling at how it reflected the light of the mid-afternoon sun. The stained-glass windows that dotted this side of the castle were opalescent in color, and Sarah smiled as she imagined the way the light would glitter within.

"His castle is prettier than ours, Jareth." She looked up to see him shake his head, eyes rolling back slightly.

"Ours has a much more lovely queen." Sarah giggled as she allowed Jareth to take her hand and lead her through the golden doors and into the entryway of the beautiful castle beyond the city of Anamnesis. They did not have to walk far, however, when they encountered the king of the Fae emerging from his throne room.

"Jareth!" A blush crept up in his cheeks as he furiously tugged at his sleeves and righted his shirt.

"I would that _**I**_ had to power to read minds, dear Brother." Jareth said, a smile creeping across his face as Sarah looked from brother to brother. "But where is Lady Jocelyn, we came to confer our blessing upon her." Geoffry cleared his throat before speaking, shooting Jareth an un-brotherly glare.

"Josie, Love, we have guests." When she stepped out of the throne room behind him, her hair slightly tousled and lips flushed red, Sarah found herself giggling uncontrollably, desperately trying to hide it behind her hand.

"No ESP needed, Jareth." She had meant to whisper it, but it came out louder than intended, echoing in the nearly empty entryway. As it was, the first words Sarah ever heard from the soon-to-be Queen of the Fae was a muttered curse.

"Payback, I suppose, Love." Geoffry said, the trademark confidence of the fae triplets finally leaking out. "For everything I saw in Sarah's memories the first time we met." Sarah looked abashed, her gaze dropping to the floor, but beside her she heard Jareth chuckle, clearly not ready to give up this little battle with his twin.

"You really must learn some semblance of discretion, Geoff."

"Look who's talking."

"I have never been caught." Sarah saw the Fae king glare at her husband, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. She could see them both amping up with new replies when she suddenly stepped forward toward Jocelyn.

"Lady Jocelyn, perhaps you could show me the Fae palace. I'd rather depart before the argument turn to 'whose is bigger'?"

"We're twins."

"Glad you remembered." She gestured Jocelyn forward and followed the young siren from the entry hall and into the nearest corridor, leaving the boys to finish their feud. They'd walked a few hundred feet before Jocelyn finally spoke.

"I really am sorry for our… indiscretion, Lady Sarah." Sarah waived off her apology with one hand.

"Believe me, it's luck, not discretion, that saves us from the same fate." She giggled, a sound that reminded Sarah of fairy bells. "And call me Sarah. I've never cared for titles much."

"Very well, Sarah. You can call me Josie." She paused and leaned against one of the opalescent stained glass windows, her hands absentmindedly smoothing her hair. "Are they always like that?"

"Heaven, yes." Sarah said, remembering when she'd taken Geoffry to see Jareth in the Labyrinth. "Jareth is as competitive with Geoffry as he is accommodating with Morpheus." Sarah paused again. "At least until they need each other. Then, there are no better friends than those three. I always feel incredibly lucky to have married into such a family."

"I'm glad to hear it. I love my mother but she was… a hard woman to live with at times."

"She's a hard woman to cooperate with sometimes." Josie smiled.

"It's true."

"We all have had people like that in our lives. What's important is finding ways to love them or to move on from them."

"And I have, but let us hasten back before those two move on to talking about us."

"Agreed."

…

"You're wife is outspoken, unabashedly crass," Jareth smiled at his brother, quirking an eyebrow at him. "and entirely suited to you. How on earth did you find the female version of yourself?"

"Isn't that what all three of us did? Mother would be proud." He heard Geoffry chortle at the suggestion. "She would have been inexplicably pleased to see that we found women who were our equals and made us happy." At that he nodded, reaching out a hand to shake that of his brother.

"Where did this rivalry between you and I come from, anyway, Jareth?"

"You were always jealous that I was the favorite."

"Like hell you were. I was her lovely and charming Fae son, oh Goblin King."

"Very nice. Way to rub it in. It's alright though, I always had Morpheus in my corner."

"Ah yes. The Loukai versus the Fae. I think Mother was genuinely concerned for our safety every once and a while."

"It would have been a tragedy to lose her favorite son, after all."

"Shut it, Brother." It was then that Jareth looked up to see Sarah and Jocelyn returning, their eyes dancing with laughter as they watched to good-natured feud. Sarah had a gift for making friends and endearing people to her and it seemed she had succeeded once again on that front. It was fitting, really, that the three soon-to-be sisters-in-law were quickly becoming such good friends.

"Now, now boys. We did journey all this way for a reason." Jareth's eyes ventured to the delicate pendant that hung around Jocelyn's neck. It was an intricate Celtic knot that was so intertwining that it made Sarah's look simple in comparison. Jareth's heart broke at the sight that pendant. That last time he'd seen it had been around his mother's neck as her body had burnt in the cremation fires. The pain must have shown on his face because he felt his brother's arm draped over his shoulder.

"I know, Jareth." He should have known it would be the same emblem. Morpheus and his father had the same pendant but it felt so raw to see it now: the symbol and source of his mother's power after so many years. From across the room he could see Sarah bite her bottom lip, her eyes glassing over as she took in his pain.

"We came to offer you our blessing, Josie." Sarah said, crossing the room and taking Jareth's hand and offering him her strength. Jareth cleared his throat and shook his head a little, willing himself out of his grief-driven stupor.

"Of course, we did." Jareth took a deep breath before allowing Sarah to lead his hand, along hers, to cover the amulet.

"Lady Jocelyn. We confer upon you know the Blessing of Will and the permission of the Goblin People to be a ruler of the Underground." She paused, allowing Jareth to finish the blessing.

"May you lead always aware of that line between will and obstinance, and always striving to find and grant the wishes of your people." Jareth found himself suddenly unable to watch as that symbol solidified. The memories were too strong and he wondered if Geoffry and Morpheus had felt the same. Had Geoffry been nearly moved to tears by that memory as well? One look from his brother confirmed it and Jareth found himself pulling Geoffry into an all-too-rare embrace.

"The Underground seems happy, Jareth."

"Wish I could feel it. All I can feel is my Labyrinth's fear."

"That too, shall pass, my friend."

"Indeed, but let us depart now, Sarah. I have an unbridled desire to see said Labyrinth."

"One favor, Jareth." She held her hand out towards him. "A pass token, for my new friend?" He summoned a single, small crystal in his palm and held it out to her. "Come see me anytime, Josie. It's been a pleasure." With that, Jareth took her hand and winked at his brother before conjuring a crystal and throwing it to the floor engulfing all in the throne room in misty black glitter that would take Geoffry hours to get cleaned up.

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**I realize my style has changed a lot since I began this story. What do you guys think? Is the change an improvement?**

**-ProngsysGirl**


	31. Part Six, Chapter Thirty-One

**A/N: Chapter 31... In the home stretch. Some special shoutouts to my reviewers: TheQueenOfWater, kittylunalover, sumaiya, 1993, how-you-turn-my-world, and . Reviews really do make me writer faster... so please share the love.**

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**Chapter 31  
**

It soon became more than apparent to Sarah that all Underground weddings were ordeals; at least that was her thought as she stood, waiting, in the throne room of the Loukai palace. The room was made entirely of crystal and it reflected the light from a million tiny blue and purple fairy lights. The walls themselves shone silver in the otherworldly light of the moon that trickled through the crystal ceiling. Indeed, it seemed that Rinalda had chosen the ideal time for a wedding in the kingdom of dreams. To Sarah, the effect was much more than she could take in and she wondered if this was how the guests had felt at her wedding mere months ago. Surely, they couldn't have been as equally dumbfounded and astonished at the Goblin castle as she felt at that moment. The crowd within the throne room outnumbered those that had been in the Goblin throne room by nearly four-fold, so numerous that Sarah could hardly count them from her position in the center circle surrounding the groom.

Sarah smiled encouragingly at Morpheus where he stood near the Underground priestess. He looked as nervous as the Fae/Loukai brothers ever looked, his hands constantly straightening his hair and clothes as he waited patiently for the moment when his bride would emerge. He smiled back at her, his gaze drifting between her and Jareth. He seemed to relax a little then, perhaps taking solace in the happy ending his brother had found.

It was then, as Sarah watched Morpheus, that she felt it. It was as though a bolt of electricity had travelled up her spine and suddenly all her nerves were taught. Something was very wrong. The feeling continued, lighting her senses on fire and making her ears ring as she searched the crowd. She could feel Jareth beside her, trying to get her attention, but she shook her head. The next bolt of magic drew her gaze, at last, to the source. A figure was moving quietly through the crowd, its face hidden from her view. She conjured a crystal and slid it up the sleeve of her gown as she heard the crowd gasp.

At first she thought something had happened, but everyone else was oblivious to the disturbance. No, Rinalda had finally emerged, her gown glittering in the moonlight, and though Sarah pretended to watch her friend, her attention was focused elsewhere, on the figure that remained hidden. She held her hand out the Jareth, drawing a crystal from his grasp. She was certain that he didn't understand her trepidation, but he obliged her, sensing her nervous energy.

Rinalda had hardly reached the dais when the figure began moving again. Before, Sarah had been sure that the figure was following Rinalda, aiming to get nearer to the Loukai King and Queen, but now they appeared to be circling around and away. Was it all in her head? Was she letting some figment of her imagination ruin the wedding of her best friend and brother-in-law? If it weren't for the persistent ringing in her ears and electrifying of her nervous system, Sarah would have been sure that was it.

She twirled the two crystals in the hand that hung between her and Jareth as she watched the crowd out of the corner of her eye. In front of her, Rinalda and Morpheus were smiling at each other, oblivious to the intrusion on their special day. The figure was becoming confident – careless – and Sarah felt the barely perceptible twitch as Jareth noticed as well, his arm about her waist tightening protectively.

It happened without a moment's notice. One moment, the Priestess was smiling warmly at Rinalda and Morpheus and the next an ear-splitting scream had broken through the happy moment. Lightning shattered through the crystal ceiling, raining glass and stone down upon them as Jareth threw Sarah to the ground, shielding her with his body. Sarah would have none of it, and she pushed him off and drug herself to her feet, sending the two crystals flying in the direction of the lightning. They exploded, lighting the tendrils of magic on fire and reducing them to ashes, and Sarah gasped, wishing she were more surprised. The tall, lean silhouette and wild, windblown hair could belong to no one else.

Keelie recovered quickly, clearly having learned to battle Sarah and Jareth's magic. She spun on her heel, aiming, not for Rinalda or Morpheus, but Sarah herself. Her eyes glowed red with stored magic as flames erupted from her fingertips.

"Everyone stay down!" Sarah heard Jareth scream, as he pushed his magic out, enveloping them in a barrier that glowed in the bronze and brown of Labyrinth magic. He drew it deep from the Underground and Sarah could feel it, rising up in her like champagne. Keelie retracted the flames and hissed, the unnatural sound causing a shiver to run down Sarah's spine. She could hardly believe that this was the girl who she'd once lived with for three years. They'd shared everything, from toiletries to secrets and now Keelie was trying to burn the flesh from her bones and all because they'd kept the biggest secrets of all from each other.

The air was still smoking when Keelie struck again, drawing, once more, from the magic she'd reserved and it was as if the electricity that had sent shivers down her spine was now erupting from her palms, reflecting off the shards of crystal and glass in ways that defied every foundation of physics Sarah had ever learned. It was all Sarah could do to summon the crystals she needed to reduce the shards to dust before they could reflect the lightning any further. Jareth, on the other hand, had sprung into action, his hands held out in front of him as he pushed his magic toward her, a dull silver light that pushed back against her lightning, dousing it like cold ice, but it wasn't enough. Sarah could hear screams breaking through the roar of magic as the lightning struck the Loukai that filled the hall.

"You won't get away from me, Sarah!" Her voice was a hate-filled screech but Sarah did not back down.

"It's over, Keelie! You failed!" Keelie stood tall, her gaze unfaltering as she stared Sarah down. Her eyes were still glowing the dark crimson that she drew from the Aboveground magic.

"No. This has only just began." Those words had sounded almost like the Keelie Sarah knew, but before she could try to respond – try to draw out the girl she'd once known, Keelie had disappeared in a flash of red-black lightning.

The sound of screams was soon replaced with sobbing as the smoke cleared and ash settled on the floor of the throne room. The twinkling lights had gone out, leaving the moonlight filtering through the ceiling to show the extent of the damage: there were injured Loukai throughout the room where she and Jareth had been unable to control the wrath of Keelie's magic; lovers and friends and parents sobbed as their loved ones moaned and screamed in agony, lying on a floor of glimmering sand, ash, and broken stone. Sarah could do little more than stand in the center of the room, shocked and confused by the deluge of disaster left behind. Was this what the war would be like?

It wasn't until she heard Jareth's voice beside her that Sarah was drawn from her stupor. He whispered her name and her gaze was drawn to him, her heart breaking at the sight of his singed hands and arms. She knelt beside him, drawing her hands out in front of her, but she trembled and cried, her magic refusing to respond. The crystals dissipated in her fingers over and over again until Jareth reached toward her, steadying her fingers until he could grasp the crystal from them. She stared at the wispy white and grey-filled crystal, blinking back tears as light emitted from it, healing the burns that covered his skin. When he looked up at her again, his eyes were filled with pain and fear and she drew him into her arms and embraced him.

Slowly, the sound of the cries around her reached Sarah's ears once again, and she pulled Jareth to her feet and began ministering to the others. What Keelie had caused was chaos – the one true weapon of the Deepground. The Underground was built on magic, faith, order, but the Deepground was neither bound nor uplifted by those things; they were ruthless and reckless and everything the Underground couldn't be. That was what they sought to bring to her Kingdom and both the worlds she called her own; this was the war ahead of her. Sarah only hoped it was one she could win.


End file.
